The Colors of Life

The Future Food Crisis

2011-12-17T14:10:00.002+05:00

Pakistan is an agricultural country where the majority of the population depends upon farming for a livelihood. The agricultural sector accounts for 24 percent of our GDP. 27 percent of our land is under cultivation out of which 80 percent is irrigated. However, lack of sustainable development in the agricultural sector will never make us self sufficient in food production to meet the needs of our rapidly increasing population. We often say, it’s all because of poor policy implementation and lack of proper planning. To some extent this is true, however the way our world eco-system is changing and affecting different regions, including South Asia, is another reason that is increasing our problems manifolds. One of the challenges our country will face in the coming two to three decades will be a severe food crisis.

Food production majorly depends upon availability of water and a suitable environment. According to a study by the Water and Power Development Authority, water resources in the country have declined alarmingly as our population continues to increase in past decade. We must recall the severe drought in 1999-2000, which significantly changed the underground water table. UNDP, in one of its findings say that fresh water availability per person in Pakistan has declined to 20 percent of what of what was available 50 years before.

We have one of the best irrigation systems in Pakistan, connecting five rivers with a well-distributed canal system that irrigates our agricultural lands. However, with the passage of time our rivers have started drying up. Pakistan receives about 59 percent of rainwater from the monsoon season. However, changes in the earth’s ecosystem due to global warming are shifting the monsoon season from this region. We can now clearly observe that rain in Pakistan is not on time.

Crop production, according to the metrological department, have increased in recent years, however in the long term, production will go down as water shortage will ultimately affect food production. We have already observed that massive floods during the past two years destroyed crops over millions of acres of land. Water shortage in the long term, together with heavy downpours and massive flooding that may occur in the coming years will continue to destroy our food production capacity.

Further scientific evidence proves that changes in the earth ecosystem will trigger heavy downpours and long term drought simultaneously. This will pose challenges to our food production. According to the earth hydrological cycle, evaporation causes rain which causes water to go back into the sea, and the cycle continues. Due to global environmental pollution, mainly the burning of fossil fuels, the average temperature of the ocean is also increasing. As the temperature increases, the oceans evaporate more moisture into the sky. Science proves that warmer air can hold a lot of more water vapor, and with each additional degree of temperature, the capacity of the atmosphere to hold water vapor increases by 7 percent. During the last 30 years, water vapors over the oceans have already increased by 4 percent. That’s why rainstorms are now getting bigger, more intense and causing floods.

As the global temperature continues to increase, the earth water cycle gets intensified and there become longer intervals in drought stricken areas between downpours. Water evaporates from the soil more rapidly and makes droughts deeper.

Scientists believe that the two massive floods of Pakistan correlate with the impacts of global warming. Similarly, future trends of water shortage and increasing droughts in many regions, including South Asia will further impact our food production leading to an additional price hike.
Recent studies from UNICEF should alarm our government where people in Sindh are suffering from high malnutrition that is beyond the emergency level and in an even worst situation from many areas in Africa. If our government does not take appropriate adaptation measures and treat this crisis as an emergency, we will be on our way to severe food shortage all over Pakistan.

The blog was originally published in The News International.

Political landscape of the UN Climate talks in Durban and our future

2011-12-12T15:14:00.002+05:00

This blog was originally featured on Express Pakistan.

Durban talks are heating up as the UN conference on Climate Change get closure to its conclusion. Ministers are already in the conference and taking over the negotiations to review different proposals on how to tackle climate crisis. Different groups are trying to convince Conference of Parties, keeping in view both the climate and economic crisis. However, due to clear differences in political opinions of certain countries like America, European Union, China and India, a new agreement to replace Kyoto protocol, which will expire next year, seems unlikely.

Kyoto protocol (2008-12) is the only binding agreement in place that set targets for 37 industrial countries and European community to reduce greenhouse gases from the use of industries and burning of fossil fuel. However, America never signed this protocol and always opposed such proposals which do not bind emerging economies like China, Brazil and India on emission reduction. China and India, on the other tells different story and justify their opinion that they have no history of polluting the world environment and cannot be bound equally with America or Europe. China has recently become the biggest carbon emitter in the world. However countries like China, Brazil and India strongly disagree with America and even argue that they should not be asked to enter into such binding agreement until year 2020. They hold industrial countries being responsible for changing the world climate due their long history of carbon pollution.

China, Brazil and India claim that their emerging economies are still standing at early stages to support millions of poor families. America, however think differently than China that global carbon emission has now no boundaries and that emerging economies are now also significantly contributing in global carbon emission. The fights continue with the argument of China as it presents quite responsive environment friendly policy that practically promotes growth of renewable energies in the country.

This lack of climate consensus not only prevails between countries like America and China but also among China, G77 and the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), mostly from Africa. LDCs consider their position an extremely vulnerable and totally reject the claims of countries like America and China during the Durban talks. According to LDCs, delay in climate action and reach binding agreement will put those vulnerable countries in worst situation. Such group proposes that delay in agreement till 2020 will make climate change irreversible as supported by climate science. In fact, LDCs advocate that average global temperature should not exceed 1.5 degree C, rather than 2 degree C which America, China, South Africa and India agreed during their so-called Copenhagen accord in 2009.

Agreement on Green Climate Fund (GCF) is another important agenda in the Durban conference. During the 2009 Copenhagen conference, member countries agreed to establish GCF fund with the starting amount of $3 billion per year from 2012 and raise it up to $100 billion per year by 2020. This proposed fund will support poor, developing countries to build their resilience and adapt to climate change. However, GCF is still not functionalized. Pakistan during the Durban conference is actively advocating for the establishment of GCF and its distribution mechanism for poor countries. The LDCs are also demanding that rich countries should not drag money from the already pledged development funds in order to mobilize resources for GCF.

Despite all these different political arguments in Durban talks, science is however, very clear in explaining the consequences of changing climate if world leadership delays binding agreements on climate change. We are already witnessing disasters likes flooding in Pakistan and Australia, heat wave in Russia, cyclones in Philippine and severe drought in China. International Energy Agency (IEA) even warns a week ahead of Durban conference that if the world does not control global carbon emission, impacts of climate change will become irreversible in coming five years. The consequences will be more frequent and disastrous weather extremes, diseases and deaths. In fact science should drive the UN Climate Change conference, rather than the politics. We are accountable to our future generation who will ask us what we did with our planet and what we left for them.

The UN Conference on Climate Change in Durban

2011-12-03T22:56:00.001+05:00

This article was originally published on The News International and Geo.tv

The United Nations Climate Change Conference that commenced day before yesterday in Durban, South Africa is scheduled to continue on till December 9, 2011. The conference holds much importance, seeing as a number of countries, including Pakistan, have recently faced extreme weather conditions which have disrupted the lives of millions of people across the globe. Pakistan has been victim to two recent climate catastrophes: the massive floods of 2010 and 2011 that impacted about 25 million people. Although weather related disasters have significantly increased in different parts of the world, it is unfortunate to note that the Durban conference is unlikely to reach any binding agreement due to the absence of strong political will. This situation is particularly alarming for the countries that are at the mercy of climate change. Many countries, including Pakistan, simply can’t afford any further delay in reaching a binding agreement amongst nations of the world to stop global warming.

Science is very clear in explaining the impact and cost that we will bear if world politics does not take concrete action to fight global warming. Ignoring the burning of fossil fuels, allowing industrial pollution and leaving deforestation unchecked is making the world a dangerous place to live in. We are already witnessing floods, rising sea levels, droughts and diseases due to global warming. The role of developing countries thus, becomes very vital during the two week negotiations taking place in Durban. Furthermore, it is very important that Pakistan also supports the new slogan emerging from pro-environment groups that: science, rather than politics should lead the conference.

We have observed during past UN conferences (such as those in Copenhagen and Cancun) that both the developed and developing nations failed to reach binding agreements. These conferences have always remained under the political influence of a few powerful nations that refuse to recognize the vulnerabilities of poor countries as a result of climate change. Representatives from developing nations can really make a difference in these negotiations. Recall the historic words from the representative of Tuvalu (the fourth smallest country in the world), who very boldly rejected the Copenhagen non-binding agreement. Representatives such as these give other developing nations the courage to stand up for themselves.

Following suit, Pakistan should play a stronger role in influencing the conference by demonstrating the same courageous attitude which Tuvalu showed during the Copenhagen conference in 2009. Pakistan has to take many steps on its part and to be honest we are not fully prepared, as we lack measures at a core national level. The truth is we have to go beyond the measure of just passing our recent National Climate Change Policy by the cabinet. We need not only participate in such conferences, but also need to make climate change our key priority and take practical steps to prove it.

Educating common people in Pakistan on Global Warming and its solutions

2011-11-26T21:35:00.001+05:00

Common people in Pakistan are often unaware of science behind the occurrence of extreme weather events such as heavy floods or heat waves. In developed nations, where people now demand from their governments to take action on global warming, our people in Pakistan usually consider such extreme events as their fate, rather than the impacts of climate change. Interestingly, after the two massive flooding in less than one year in Pakistan, thinking of people in Pakistan is now changing. Their thoughts are now going beyond the belief that this is not only their fate or anger of God. Global warming is the word which is getting common in our discussions. However, it is very important that a common person fully understand what global warming is and how can we find solutions to fight with its impacts. It is also important to educate our people, particularly women, on global warming science and its solution as we are among most vulnerable nations in the world who are suffering from the climate catastrophes even more than before.

Our earth is surrounded by layers of different greenhouse gases, which we call atmosphere. The molecules of greenhouse gases such as Carbon Dioxide have the ability to trap heat which comes from sun. As our sun is the main source of energy, most of its heat is absorb by our earth. The heat waves reflected by earth are then trapped by the molecule of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This natural system in fact helps maintaining sufficient amount of heat on earth which is required for survival of life. However, due to increase in human activities on earth like burning of fossil fuel, industrialization, transportation and deforestation, we are now producing more greenhouse gases and emitting them into atmosphere. With more concentration of greenhouse gases into atmosphere, the ability of trapping heat by atmosphere has increased, particularly after the industrial revolution which is resulting into increase in temperature of our earth. This human induced change in earth temperature is called global warming which continues to change our climate abnormally e.g. increase in earth’ average temperature, increase in number of precipitation days or decrease in average rainfall.

According to scientists, safe limit for concentration of greenhouse gases in atmosphere is 350 parts per million (ppm), however due to the factors like rapid industrialization, massive deforestation etc, this concentration has already reached to the level of 390 ppm. Scientists also believe that it is important to keep the concentration of greenhouse gases at 350 ppm to avert the chances of increase in average global temperature above 2 degree Celsius. However the way, our world is emitting greenhouse gases like CO2, scientists carefully forecast that earth temperature may go beyond 4 degree Celsius which will dramatically change our earth eco-system and increase both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like the Pakistan floods in 2010 and 2011 or the heat wave of Russia in 2010. Due to global warming, our oceans are getting warmer and have in fact, increased the process of forming water vapors over oceans. Science proves that warmer air can hold more water vapors. Thus more concentration of water vapors over oceans are now resulting into heavy downpours and flooding in different parts of the world. Increase in temperature also result into heat waves and wind storms.

In Northern Pakistan, our precious glaciers resources are rapidly melting due to global warming. Not only this but also global warming has increased sea level and swept away number of villages in our coastal areas of Sindh and Baluchistan. Scientists also believe that the human induced climate change is shifting our monsoon season, which in fact give us nearly 60% of rain water. We are clearly observing that rains are either not on time or they happens all at once and create flash floods like we faced in 2010 and 2011 floods. We also observe that winter days are now getting shorter and summer days are getting longer. It is not good to know either that, according to scientists, Pakistan will face severe water shortage and decrease in crops production in coming 30 years due to global warming. It means we have to get ready for the big challenge of food insecurity in coming decades. Heat waves and flooding have also increased different water and other environment related diseases.

Pakistan has although very negligible contribution in global environmental pollution, still we are among the most vulnerable countries impacted by global warming. It is although a global issue however, for us it is important that need for effective advocacy by our government in different international forums, particularly in the forthcoming UN conference in Durban, South Africa, we start exploring ranges of local and regional level solutions to fight global warming. Here are some of the solutions we can adopt in our rural and urban communities in Pakistan;

First important step is to save every drop of water. We can use innovative water conservation methods. One of the ways is roof water harvesting to collect rainwater rather than wasting them without any use. People can construct rainwater ponds easily to store rainwater. Similarly, by repairing water taps and joints, we can save lot of water from leakage. People using washrooms, particularly in cities, can save good quantity of water by a simple behavioral change i.e. using water pans rather than showers. Adjusting toilet flush with a simple flush water reducer can also help protect water from wastage.

We should educate our people to plant trees in all possible free land or space in and around homes, schools and our fields. Due to massive deforestation, we faced more catastrophes during the 2010 flooding. We have less than 5% forest cover in Pakistan and our forest depletion is top in the entire world. Planting trees can help in many ways like protection from floods and landslides, improve air quality, provide shades to protect from heat and improve underground water table. In addition to planting trees, we can avoid using different chemicals and use organic fertilizers to improve our lands fertility and increase food production. We can grow fruit plants and vegetables along with seasonal crops. Using different techniques like construction of check dams, gabion walls and planting trees can protect our agricultural land from erosion. We can learn and encourage multi-cropping techniques and promote ideas like floating gardens in flood affected areas to cope with extremes weathers and improve livelihoods.

Using different alternate and renewable energy resources, we will not only contribute in achieving clean energy targets but also help in overcoming issues like electricity crisis or dependency on forests for fuel and heating. Community based micro-hydal power plants, fuel efficient stoves, wind farms and solar energy are number of good options available for us in Pakistan.

We can promote eco-friendly and safe constructions. We should avoid construction in locations exposed to flooding or landslide and construct in a way which can maximum use daylight instead of electricity. Roofs with white coated sheets can help in reducing heat inside home during hot summer. We can also reduce our electricity bills at home or work by number of simple ways, particularly in cities. Use air-conditions as less as possible. By keeping AC unit at north side of home, people can protect it from direct sunlight, along with plants trees and shrubs around AC unit to keep it cool. Keep thermostat at 26 degree C. Open drapes, curtains and blinds open at evening time to escape heat from home. Use daylight during work and wear weather appropriate dresses rather than using air conditioners or heaters. Turn off electric appliances when they are not in use. Use fans in room and exhaust fans in kitchen to escape hot air. Equipments on standby still use 90% of energy. Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy savers.

We can also promote simple practices like buying items in large size packing rather than small packs. Before buying or using anything, first think do you really need it. Avoid plastic bags and encourage reusable canvas bags for shopping. Use kitchen waste for compost making and separately keep different waste items likes plastic, papers and iron waste to make it easy for recycling rather than throwing them off. Use recycled papers which use half the water than the new paper. Explore and contact recycling companies and send old/used equipments to recycle. Make less use of papers, be online or print on double side. Print drafts on scrap papers. Be creative in using old things for household use e.g. use plastic cans for food storage or roof gardening. We can also contribute in clean environment by using public transport or even bicycle rather than running cars. If cars are necessary to use then make sure car are fuel efficient by their proper tuning.

And finally we need to speak up. Global warming is a global issue which doesn’t see boundaries but impacts all of us. We need to join campaigns and raise voices at community, business and government level to motivate them and play their role to fight the issue of global warming.

Walking together

2011-10-30T00:44:00.000+05:00

About 6:30am, in the beautiful morning of October 20^th, when our plane touched the land of Melbourne, I was trying to reunite myself with the past two years. A two years life which echoes short but matter a lot to me- to get closer to nature, to think of people, to realize mistakes and to overcome challenges which I often thought being difficult…

And this is the journey I started with The Climate Reality Project having a family of very special presenters who are part of my life.

My journey started exactly from the same Melbourne I came during in the 2009 winter of Australia. I found many things changed- perhaps to make myself more real to life. I came to Australia second time and this time weather of Melbourne of mix of unpredictable days- didn’t know about every coming days; would it be hot, cold or sunshine to feel the warmth of Melbourne’ love?

“So how is the weather of Melbourne”? This was the most difficult question that I couldn’t respond to my sister talking to me on phone. “The morning I was late to wake up and expected for sunshine, I rushed out to catch my friends for a field trip while wearing T shirt and then realized it is going to be a cold day” I managed it anyway as I belong to an area in Pakistan where winters are even more cold. I am not talking about our pleasant summers in the northern Pakistan which are getting more hotter!

Another 18 hours of long flight of my life to Melbourne which never made me worried about. By the way of care, thanks to TCRP who invited us couple of days ahead to the leadership congress to recover from the long travel and two nights wake up! Much of the relaxation regained as we, a group of presenters, walked with the Birrung River in slow pours of rain. And of course It was such a wonderful experience while going back to the history of Melbourne to know all about the indigenous people of Australia. An imagination from waterfall of old Birrung River to the 1889 Queen’s Bridge over the Yaara River made me realize the importance of nature and care for people.

The next morning we the presenters from Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Fiji walked towards the old warden’ lodge in the beautiful Trinity college of Melbourne. It was a memorable reunion with our fellow presenters where we had a lot to share and learn from each other experiences and inspiring stories. A diverse group of 65 presenters who belonged to different cultures and colors of life and sharing number of common values. The most amazing aspect that I could realize was the achievement of The Climate Reality Project who, since 2006 has successfully transformed lives of many dedicated individuals to talk a single language of care and love- for our environment, for our people and for our planet. Revising my personal journey from 2009 to 2011 with TCRP, I realized a change in myself- perhaps now I can say I got the courage and knowledge to lead and to advocate on climate crisis on behalf of my own people.

I think myself fortunate that I belong to the family of TCRP presenters. I had never thought of such a wonderful group of friends who belongs to different culture and religion but their individual expertise in the field of climate change makes them unique. During my three days learning from each and every fellow presenter, I felt myself even more powerful and informed. TCRP made it possible to connect individual strengths into common values of true friendship which will never end despite of distances. I learnt from the two “personal stories of change” from my fellow presenters from Pakistan and Australia that being bold or energetic in life do not always matter but being not afraid of doing things and a will of sharing power of knowledge with each other matters a lot.

The family of TCRP inspires me think differently and in many ways. I realize that many things in life are interconnected but not interdependent. I also realize in this journey that leadership skills and better communication doesn’t affect by differences in thoughts and culture while working on some big issue like climate change. Only love and care bring us all together on a single point where we can collectively think and can make it sure for change. I realize our people belonging to different thoughts and culture still love each other. Thinking about the issue of climate change and need for its solution, I realize it is so important to create such opportunities for youth and other people from different region to get together and share thoughts with each other. And this is what TCRP did successfully during the congress where presenters from the Asia-pacific region got to know many positive and inspiring stories ranging from the conservative societies of Balochistan province in Pakistan to the much developed part of the world Melbourne. I simply realized that distance may lead to differences in thoughts but coming together and talking on hard issue can make a way towards solutions.

Al Gore has been always an inspiration to me. He is kind of man I can proudly, and to be honest more easily, talk about even if I am among my conservative group of people and society in Pakistan. Having lots of complexities in the political landscape in our region where countries politics like between America and Pakistan currently seems in different directions, we however we get a person like Mr. Gore who being an American amazingly talk and care for our people. The main reason, as I realize, behind his care is to go beyond the limited circle of thinking and giving priority to the people suffering first. That’s why I felt so much proud when I got the opportunity to become part of the 24 Hours of Reality campaign representing Islamabad. I felt much excited when Mr. Gore in his phone catch-up during the congress called “Asif Iqbal from Pakistan”, however I feel much excited when I am able to get confidence of our people that still we can stand together with people of different culture and region on a common issue like climate change.

TCRP celebrations brought a lot to us. We could found something common as “green” in different getups- a green shirt, a green cap, a green sari or a green dopata (scarf). This was much to feel how beautiful our friends are and how much common values they hold for each other. I learnt we can never lose hope in many ways. One of the powerful ways I could learn was to find God in people hearts, in their smiles, in a beauty of nature and in the warm hug of a father. I learnt I can find myself and my wealth if I find God in many ways to come out of disappointments. I simply felt relaxed.

I had an amazing experience to listen to the thoughts of Paul Hawkens during the congress. I realized that apparently difficult things can be easy to know in life. Everything matters in life no matter if they are so tiny like a single cell of our body. We can find many ways to reconnect to people and nature to solve problems like of climate change. Sharing many values, perhaps it became easy for us to work together and identify key aspects of our common strategy to work together in 2012 and ahead to solve climate crisis.

I found many similarities in things which looks different to the world and which gave me this feeling that we can still walk together to solve our problems. I remember chatting with my fellow presenter and district manager Marita Manley from Fiji while traveling in bus to the community wind farm in central Victoria. I could never believe that both Marita and myself belonging to entirely different regions and cultures infact got similarities in our childhood problems as we grew up and entered into challenges of working life. Sitting together in the beautiful bus with our fellow presenters, I thought we are not only going together to the wind farm in central Victoria but also walking together on a similar way of life where we share common values and common issues to work upon. It is same like the fog which surrounds the wind farm in Victoria is also similar with the fog of my own area Nathiagali in Pakistan.

And finally I count the most precious words and support from the TCRP team especially from Angela, Don Henry, Aditya, Amanda, Mel, Adam and many of our fellow presenters who walked together with us in the path we all have adopted together. I think the first step that I took in 2009 from the cold winter of Melbourne was the perfect start. The Leadership congress is of course a milestone in this journey of change and inspirations. A special thanks to Ausaid for supporting us to participate in this great re-union and learning which, I personally think, significantly contributed in making many of us grass root level leaders to create change.

After 24 Hours of Reality

2011-10-02T00:02:00.000+05:00

I am proud to be personally trained by honorable Al Gore which enabled me to present live during the 24 Hours of Reality from Islamabad. On September 14th & 15th, we together with Al Gore, give a message to the world about reality of climate crisis. However this was not the end of message. We need to continue and spread the word. In less than a year time, Pakistan faced another big catastrophe. More than 5 million Pakistani, half of them children, are affected in aftermath of heavy monsoon rains. Last year, it was almost more than 20 million. I reiterate my moral responsibility, commit to talk about climate crisis and present this reality to the most I can reach. I restarted this commitment by organizing a post 24 Hours of Reality group watch party in Islamabad. We need everyone to be part of this campaign and tell the world how human made global carbon emission is changing the world. Ask those who deny and invite them to see what is happening right now in our beautiful province of Sindh due to heavy rains. We need to spread the word and motivate everyone for action.

Watch my presentation live on Reality of Climate Crisis

2011-09-10T21:26:00.001+05:00

Friends, watch my presentation live on Reality of Climate Crisis this September 15 at 7 pm (Pakistan time). Log on to http://www.ustream.tv/ClimateReality to watch full truth, scope, scale and impact of climate crisis.

Spanning 24 hours, 24 time zones and multiple languages, 24 Hours of Reality features a new multimedia presentation about climate change created by Vice President Gore and delivered by an army of personally trained slide show Presenters from around the world.

Beginning in Mexico City and proceeding westward around the globe, 24 Hours of Reality offers a round-the-clock snapshot of the global climate crisis in real time, sharing unique perspectives on the crisis from Tonga to Cape Verde, Mexico City to Kotzebue, Alaska, Jakarta to London. With one event scheduled in each time zone at 7 p.m. local time, the entire 24 hours will also be streamed live online from start to finish, culminating in a final presentation by Vice President Gore in New York at 7 pm.

Watch all the 24 presentations here: http://climaterealityproject.org/

Send us a two-minute video on climate change and show your skills to the world

2011-08-13T16:13:00.003+05:00

Friends,
Are you a skilled film maker, by chance got talent in making documentaries or if you know someone among your friends who really loves to capture changes in the eyes of camera. We have something reality exciting for you to show your skills to the world.

Send us a two-minute short video and show how climate change is impacting your community, your city and your surroundings and become a part of 24 Hours of Reality!

The Climate Reality Project (TCRP) is organizing a global event “24 Hours of Reality” to show full truth, scope, scale and impact of climate crisis on September 14-15, 2011. With one event scheduled in each time zone at 7:00PM local time, the entire 24 hours will be streamed live online. One of these live 24 events is also taking place in Islamabad on September 15, 2011.

We are inviting interested individuals and film makers to submit a two-minute short video on impacts of climate change in Pakistan. We will select the best video and show it in our Islamabad event!! You will also get a chance to see your created video in live events happening this September 14-15.

You can post your video on this link by August 30, 2011; http://vimeo.com/groups/climaterealityproject. Any person appearing in your video needs to sign an appearance release. Here is the link to appearance release; forms.climaterealityproject.org/Avrelease. Please email your signed forms to 24hoursofreality@gmail.com when you post your video.

Photo: 123RF

In the midst of nature, life and reality

2011-08-08T00:57:00.008+05:00

I live in an area which attracts every one’s eyes, where high mountains gossip with sky, where rivers’ flow gave rhythm to life and where greenery speak about nature. Northern Pakistan- a land of beauty, a blessing of pure nature…

Then why we see floods? Why our lands often sweep away with slides? Why rains become torrent some time? Since my childhood I kept on observing changes but never able to make a point what lies between a natural beauty and a disaster.

And then I leant about climate change. A human made change which affects all of us. A Reality which we need to know. Like our region, this phenomenon affects the poor more, living in least developed area. But the effects of climate change are now everywhere. If flood inundated Pakistan in 2010, London was also not an exception. If drought badly affected Baluchistan province in 1999-2000, then Russians couldn’t also protect themselves from recent record dry spell. If Mohenjodaro city of Pakistan observed 54 degree Celsius last year then Europe also received record snowfall in its living history.

World is observing these changes more significantly then the past. Every country is contributing in these changes. The only difference is that some countries pollute more our atmosphere with their emission of greenhouse gases and many don’t. Those rich countries are however more resilient to cope with the impacts of climate change as compared to the poor. Emission of CO2 is different in every country but the impacts don’t care about any geographical boundaries.

However, what is more important is to know the reality of climate crisis and pave a way of climate justice. And that’s why I am joining Reality this September 15 from Islamabad- a part of global campaign by Al Gore where we 23 voluntary presenters will stand together with Al Gore to raise one common voice. In 24 time zones with 13 different languages, each hour of September 14-15 will show the world full truth, scope, scale and impact of climate crisis.
We simply need you join us and strengthen our voice.

There are number of ways you can play your role;
• ‘Like’ The Climate Reality Project on Facebook and tell your audience to refer friends
• RSVP for the 24 Hours of Reality live stream event on Facebook and suggest others do the same
• Provide your audience with a link to the full Climate Reality event schedule
• Encourage Climate Reality email signups via the signup page on the Climate Reality website
• Start following @ClimateReality on Twitter and ask your followers do the same
• ReTweet our content and/or message us directly @ClimateReality
• Share/tag thoughts about how climate change is affecting your area and ask others to do the same
• Instruct your audience to use #Reality & #[their country] when calling out evidence of climate change
And join us in Pakistan 7pm on September 15, 2011.

Picture: Faisal Shehzad

We choose REALITY from Islamabad

2011-07-16T23:52:00.003+05:00

It's time to speak the truth. It's time to choose the Reality. Join us this September 14 and 15.

Spread the word...
Take action...
And get involved...
All is here to choose: 24 Hours of REALITY
24 Hours of Reality- 24 presenters, 24 time zones, 13 languaes, 1 MESSAGE

“"24 Hours of Reality will focus the world’s attention on the full truth, scope, scale and impact of the climate crisis. To remove the doubt. Reveal the deniers. And catalyze urgency around an issue that affects every one of us" Al Gore”

“What can change in a day? For 24 hours, we will all live in reality.”

“Choose a location and get involved;”

■“*ABU DHABI”
■“AUCKLAND”
■“BEIJING”
■“*BOULDER”
■“CAPE VERDE”
■“*DURBAN”
■“FRENCH POLYNESIA”
■“HAIDA GWAII”
■“HAWAII”
■“HUSAVIK”
■“ILULISSAT”
■“ISTANBUL”
■“JAKARTA”
■“KOTZEBUE”
■“LONDON”
■“MEXICO CITY”
■“NEW DELHI”
■“NEW YORK”
■“*QUEENSLAND”
■“RIO DE JANEIRO”
■“SEOUL”
■“SOLOMON ISLANDS”
■“*TONGA”

And we will be choosing Reality from

ISLAMABAD

Email me on asifoghi@yahoo.com if you want to join us in Islamabad or would like to offer your voluntary support.

Asif
TCP presenter from Pakistan

Training on climate change, alternate fuel technologies and public narrative skills

2011-06-05T02:23:00.024+05:00

With WV colleagues

Public narrative skills- Story of Self, Us and Now!

Identifying story of Self

Linking story of Self with Us and Now

A break with WV colleagues

Presenting your self to influence others

Getting ready for presentation on climate change

During a session on science of climate change

Presenting income generation opportunities

How to make enterprises GREEN

Climate change- causes and impacts

Dreams behind the heat

2011-05-29T21:39:00.006+05:00

Beautiful trees of dates… green fields…

Water flowing down in the link canals… historical forts and palaces…

a rich culture… courageous people…

This is Khairpur- one of the beautiful towns in Sindh province of Pakistan.

Belonging to green lush mountainous area, I felt same sense of beauty with my every breath as I moved down to the fields in Khairpur. Small shops on road side, handmade charpai (beds) in front of small hotels and people enjoying tea while sitting together… public buses moving fast on the main road, traveling from Karachi to the KPK province, giving me sense of connection among people from south to north.

Sindh- where I spent my early six years of childhood was perhaps the most inspiring reason of love for the people in Khairpur. I loved spending few hours with the people of Khairpur.

Nature has blessed Khairpur beauty with a different look. This beauty reflects from the plain fields, from the heights of date trees and from the faces of the people of Khairpur.

But what is wrong here, is the chilling heat. It was almost 45˚ C plus in the month of May. I don’t know how bravely these people survive with this temperature. I simply can’t imagine about June and July. Moen-jo-daro is not much far from Khairpur where mercury, last year peaked to the record 54˚ C.

Shikarpur, Khairpur and other parts of the Sindh province were the worst affected areas in aftermath of 2010 massive flooding which inundated almost half of the country’ land under water. As I walked down in the town, I kept on thinking about miseries of the innocent people here.

Although flood water is no more here, but many people are fighting with life’ challenges- a challenge to survive with dignity and a fear of another big flood.

If people in the northern Pakistan only witnessed a deadly flash flooding last year, people in Sindh faced with both the massive flooding and chilling heat. Fighting already with extreme poverty, flooding has further brought more challenges in the lives of families, little girls and boys, who would have always dreamed for an easy live.

Perhaps many of them would not even know what a happy life is…

As the beauty of Khairpur is eternal, dreams of the little children of Khairpur are also beautiful. I felt the sense of this beauty in their innocent eyes. When I saw any child walking on the roads and streets or working in the field, I dared to think about their dreams in this unbearable heat. A beautiful dream sometime behind the bare foot walks…

Perhaps I would not have sensed it in its true sense as I was personally not able to face this extremely hot temperature.

Why this heat and this flooding be the fate of these innocent children and their families. They deserve fulfillment of their beautiful dreams.

And they are as beautiful as is the beauty of Khairpur.

Simple solutions with "Simplicity"

2011-04-21T00:27:00.004+05:00

We often hear “old is gold”. While going back into past, people always consider past time memorable in their life. They have many reasons in thoughts and perceptions to value past like pure and easily available food, fresh air, cool temperature etc. Among a wide range of songs collection, listening suddenly a song of 60s (mostly in case of the sub continent) someone might have said “aa ha”, thinking it evergreen song. Often people of past are considered simple with easy go life, happily living and helping each other, having less kind of diseases or often astonishing on hearing a new kind of disease with the first comment like “we never heard about this one before”.

In the present life of complexity around the advent of science’ wisdom, we can find people with simple life. For me, if the past was better, main reason behind it was the choice of “simplicity”. Very clear rule- live simply live easily… and this rule applied in the past, not only on materials but also on thoughts. People loved and cared for each other in our past always welcomed a life of happiness around themselves. They cared for nature; in return, nature was taking care of them. The way we live today, especially in cities, is the life of more challenging and less comfort, despite of what science has given to us in recent decades.

The same is the case for our environment. I simply don’t remember when I see butterflies last time. Traveling daily now a days from my home in Mansehra to my office in Abbottabad, looking at the labors busy on Karakurum highway, cutting down trees, mountains and the agricultural land along side the road I often think why we are widening this highway. To overcome the problem of increasing traffic jams? Are we really going to do this? It is not only the population bomb but also the wish to have own cars and move around. May be we don’t feel the need of widening roads, not by managing population only but to control vehicles growth, being unnecessarily increasing in everyday life.

People in cities enjoy sitting in cool AC offices and buildings, often never think about how hot it becomes for those who have to walk on the roads surrounded by such high buildings. Did we ever image a life without ACs now or it has now become impossible- credit goes to global warming- perhaps the man behind this warming deserve the credit. Certainly yes…

We can make our life happy. And the simple rule is simplicity! Turning off TV switch completely, rather than putting it on standby- otherwise still wasting 90% of the energy for the next month electricity bill. TV sets in each room would further decrease the chances a family can rejoice by having time together, instead of those having just one set at home for everyone. Often people living in villages grow vegetables near their homes and, if having no guests around, would happily love to cook self-grown food without any luxury arrangements. Such families migrating to cities or those already living there would rarely grow such food. In cities, they hardly get a space to grow (no water or to be honest no time in a machinic life).

Thoughts are powerful factors behind simplicity in life. Sometime status symbol force people to buy a car and travel around- to office… to shopping in evening… or a long drive. I loved seeing people in Bangkok traveling in trains over the busy and crowded roads. But I love more the life in my village people and friends either walking to shop daily or travel to other villages, all going together having a local transport. May be people argue with the advancement of science and facilities in making life easy but may not be able to see the kind of satisfaction around families and specially a sound sleep at night in village. Science found solutions of many complex diseases, but only rich get the benefits from this advancement. Poor always suffer… even they suffer from the consequences of degraded environment with the hands of rich ones…

More income brings more wishes. Simplicity is what we can find in sufficient income rather than more income. Sufficient income means a fair circulation of wealth among all, where poor are also able to meet their needs and this is what religion also emphasize as a right of all and the poor. Simple lives mean no wish for extra profit where care goes directly to both humans and the environment we live in. A green business may thus give a simple life, not although a big profit but a sufficient income which would care for both humans and our nature.

Water is a simple example. It is pure and simple in nature. The only way we make it polluted or wasted is bringing complexity around the environment. People construct buildings, establish factories, dispose of chemicals and garbage into rivers… People do this for more gains but this all goes against the simplicity of nature and limit the gains of many poor which they can secure in their hard lives. People waste water in many ways, from houses to businesses- using shower s, keeping tap open while brushing teeth, washing cars in showrooms, using huge water in construction, crops/livestock production… Simple life has lots of solution where we can protect water for our self and for everyone. Just reducing one time meat dish from our weekly diets can be of significant change.

Simplicity come with the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle. Having such habits in our daily life can really make a difference. We can limit our needs and our expenses if we can reduce the quantity of commodities that we simply don’t need. We can avoid plastic bottles and use traditional glasses (often very stylish) for drinking water. In both cases, need is to drink a clean water which is must for survival, not to show others! There are lots of items at our home that we can utilize for daily important needs, instead of throwing them out in streets. Choices are there in life and work- using home utensils in picnic rather than the plastic ones, planting a tree, make a home garden, keep aside curtains from window in day time to use natural light in room instead of light bulb, taking prints on both sides of paper, returning used batteries/electric equipments for recycling, before going to buy a new one…

Or simply having a nice walk for few minutes instead of using a personal car can bring beauty in life.

Simple solutions with simplicity…

Spending holidays in educating people on Climate Change

2011-03-06T23:43:00.003+05:00

I was on my two weeks long holidays from office, however I decided not to spend my free days in traveling around or resting at home. My choice was to go in field, meet local farmers, communities and NGOs professionals to spread the word on Climate Change. Perhaps the best choice I could made in sharing information on science of climate change, a global perspective and political landscape which local communities in Pakistan are often unaware of. In every that second of my voluntary effort, I felt a sense of satisfaction whenever I realized I was able to make people aware on the information which they didn't know before such as increased concentration of greenhouses gases in atmosphere more than the natural requirement, future risks of water scarcity in Pakistan, difference among developed and developing countries in international debate and up to date science of climate change, which local people rarely able to know.

Inviting our campaign' volunteers from Punjab and KPK provinces to plan activities for 2011

In Balakot- a

famous tourist spot but highly vulnerable to flash floods

and landslides:

"Presentation to local farmers community on Science of Climate Change and Pakistan'Perspective"

In Mansehra- a hub of NGOs during their 2005 earthquake response

"Training of NGOs professional on Climate Change and

Public Narrative Skills"

In Peshawar- participants from the Tribal Areas, Peshawar

and other districts worst impacted by war on terror and Pakistan flood 2010

"Presentation on Climate Change and Possible Solution"

Al Gore’s slideshow help local communities to understand how to adapt to climate change

2011-03-01T23:38:00.002+05:00

It was an especial day! I was fortunate to meet three Local Support Organizations (LSOs) of local communities in the sub division Balakot and presented the Al Gore’s slideshow on climate change.

Balakot is one of the historical areas in Hazara division, famous for its natural beauty which attracts tourists from across the country to visit here, especially to stay in Shogran and Naran during the summer. Lake Saiful Malook* is of course a place worth to visit and enjoy the nature.

Communities living Balakot depend on rain fed agriculture for their livelihoods. Local forests are the only source of fuel for these communities. Depletion of forests, together with increased precipitation in the northern parts due to climate change (as evident from the data of Pakistan Met Department) has made this area vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.

Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), a leading national NGO in the KPK province, is helping local communities to take local level initiatives for their development by organizing them as LSOs- a cluster of village organizations at union council level.

Access to information and resources required to build community resilience against natural disasters is always a major constraints for communities in Balakot. This was the beauty of the Al Gore’s slideshow which really helped local communities, even the illiterate, to understand in simple way what climate change is and how different human activities trigger this change.

However, the key advantage that came out from the today’s presentations was to identify what possible solutions communities can think of to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Groups thought about the possibilities of initiatives such as agro-forestry, multi cropping, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, improved agricultural practices, protection of land and water resources and installing micro-hydal power plants to generate hydal electricity which can also help in irrigation of agricultural lands.

Given that increasing impacts of climate change in Pakistan such as depletion of water resources and food insecurity would make this region vulnerable in future, community groups like LSOs can play an important role to help communities to adapt to climate change. They would, however need financial and technical support.

My special thanks to Ms. Naheed, TCP Connector and an active development professional from SRSP for organizing my presentations to three LSOs in single day!!

"Pakistan Environment Club" (PEC)- 6th review meeting

2011-02-26T15:10:00.012+05:00

Amjad, TCP Connector- participating online from Islamabad. He recently joined Oxfam GB to support flood response in Pakistan

Memoona and Naheed, TCP Connectors from Lahore and Mansehra.

Memoona continued support in community based projects in environment conservation and climate change in Punjab through UNDP. Naheed, supporting community based implementing partners on plantation campaigns through SRSP.

Jawad, TCP Connector from Mansehra.

Jawad is leading Saibaan and working on different initiatives like WASH, rehabilitation of water mills, micro hydal power schemes in Kohistan and Shangla districts, KPK province

Participants got orientation on new slides "Pakistan and Climate Change" and debriefing on Asia-Pacific summit on Climate Change in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The man who stopped the desert

2011-02-12T23:50:00.000+05:00

Watching for the first time this short movie of Yacouba Sawadogo, I couldn’t stop myself to share it with every one whom I can reach to.

It’s a story of hope…

Yacouba Sawadogo is the man of passion, a man who transformed lives of thousands in the Western Africa. The man who stopped the desert…

No matter if he is illiterate. So what if he belongs to the poorest country in the world. He is a peasant but his strength is his love for soil, no matter if it is a barren one. He knows how much this land is precious for the lives of thousands. He didn’t think of himself alone, but his wisdom and love for humanity proves that he can face the challenges.

Don’t miss to watch the story of Yacouba Sawadogo: http://sfgreen.slated.com/2011/films/themanwhostoppedthedesert

A blog to life- writing on the Earth and over the Clouds!

2011-01-14T16:14:00.009+05:00

Perhaps it was the good time for me to start writing something special as I sit right now in the Jakarta airport and waiting to be on board for Islamabad.

I remember the time when I was leaving from my home in Pakistan. The time I was heading to Islamabad to catch my flight to Jakarta, my mother was quite tense. Not for the reason I was going far away, she knew I am going for a good cause, to learn something and do something good, but she was tense because of the suddenly changed security situation in Pakistan after the murder of Government of Punjab just a day before my departure to Indonesia. It has been really unfortunate that various factors and elements have taken away peace from my country and ultimately the people suffer. However, I am not going to talk about it right now.

It was almost 12 at midnight when I reached Islamabad airport. Looking at the flights schedule, an official from Emirates airline came to me and gently spoke- “excuse me, if you are here for the Emirates flight to Dubai at 03:25am, let me inform you that the flight has been cancelled due to fog, please come to our office so we facilitate your stay and arrange for the next flight”.

Oh “fog”- so now I had to be moved to the Islamabad hotel to stay at night and wait to catch the next flight other day at 5 in the evening. Thinking about this I had although, no other choice, only to wait for some more hours until I am able to catch my flight (if fog allowed this time). Thanks to the airline for the arrangements, however I missed one of my free days that I was supposed to be in the beautiful Jakarta city to have some rest and to move around.

May be I was not supposed to be free and at rest. Nature demands from all of us in such a critical time to take care of it. Fog in Pakistan this year has been of a record for the past ten years due to continuously dry and harsh winter. Not only this but weather has been significantly changed in Pakistan- increasing precipitation in the North and decreasing in the South semi-arid plain region. Numbers of villages have been disappeared from the coastal areas with people gradually migrating due to rise of sea level every year. Perhaps the world doesn’t know this misery. Number of villages and tourists places in the Northern parts where people never used fans, have now started using it because of the increased temperature. Massive flooding in Pakistan in July-August 2010 would never let people forget its miseries- 20 million directly affected.

I need to look at the clock if I am not getting late to be on board. The lady from Emirates informed me that the flight is a bit more late which I didn’t mind perhaps for the first time as I would continue writing a bit more..

I needed to come to Indonesia to meet 350 inspiring presenters from the 21 countries of the Asia-Pacific region who were gathering in the beautiful Balai Sidang Convention Centre from January 8-10, 2011. No doubt, I could make it with the generous support from The Alliance for Climate Protection. I would never forget how amazingly our hosts- The Climate Project (TCP) Indonesia, with the support of TCP Australia organized the 2nd Asia-Pacific summit on climate change. A big success! I think this was perhaps the most memorable event in my life where I was touched with every second of its hospitality, learning and support from TCP friends and fellow presenters, especially from Indonesia. It was such a great experience meeting number of friends whom I mostly talked via skype or exchanged emails but met for the first time in person. It looked like we had never been strange to each other. There was also another reason for happiness as three other presenters from Pakistan (Kamran, Azam and Bangash) have been able to join Pakistan’ presenters team to serve for our country in fight against climate change.

Ok wait, now I have to be on board, let’s start writing blog again while flying in the air… thousands of meters above sea level..

I loved to come to Jakarta for the first time in my life. My one week stay in Indonesia was one of the pleasant travels with loving people. I saw young boys and girls enjoying on the top of a local buses and on roads over the victory of their local football team! Whenever, I needed some help to find a route when moving around, everyone I asked in Jakarta helped me, despite the constraint that we were not able to understand each other’s language.

I still remember Mel from TCP Australia welcoming me at the front desk and immediately recognizing me saying- Hey Asif! Mel- you are just amazing! It was very inspiring for me that lots of fellow presenters and TCP friends knew me very well as a fellow presenter from Pakistan despite the fact we had never met before. I want to remember Angela from TCP Australia expressing her happiness when she met me 2nd time here in the Jakarta. I want to remember Amanda from TCP Indonesia welcoming me in her such a kind words to the fellow presenters and especially calling my name in her first speech to us- the summit table facilitators. And I remember smiling faces of Mim, Adam, Henary, Rebecca and many more. And I remember how Edrida from Indonesia just shouted when she looked at me while coming to the presentation hall! And Nana- very inspiring!! I simply can’t able to name each and every one fellow presenter here. Everyone was just amazing- friends from Korea, Philippine, Australia, India, Fiji… what a diverse connections!! This is a biggest strength and beauty of TCP.

Thanks to Aditya from TCP India whom I didn’t met before but he was eager to meet me, asking from other Pakistani fellow presenters- Is Asif there in the summit? As usual, I found the fellow presenters from India so friendly and loving. So pleasant to find time when I was able to talk to our Indian friends in Urdu language as well, quite enough for me to remember my own people back in Pakistan all the time :)

I was fortunate to start my new year 2011 by travelling to the Indonesia and most importantly to be personally trained by Honorable Al Gore- WOW, a man of passion and continuous struggle, a man who has significantly advocated globally on Climate Crisis and its impacts on humanity. The time has now become so critical for everyone to think and act on climate change and find its solution to keep the temperature below 2 degree C, which otherwise would led to more disasters in the world with change in the earth’ eco-system. Thank you so much Al Gore!

And that’s why Al Gore came to Jakarta to help us, the TCP fellow presenters from 21 nations to learn possible solution on climate crisis. My country being one of the climate affected region has always faced the problem of unawareness on climate issues. Having started my voluntary Climate Project Connectors campaign back in 2009, I look forward to help our people to understand the problem, advocate on the issue and seek for the possible solutions which Al Gore so beautifully shared with us. I really loved the passion of Al Gore during his presentation, when he emotionally and loudly expressed his feelings for action on climate crisis. Thanks to Al Gore for bringing together knowledge and wisdom to help us perfectly understand climate change and that’s what every country needs to act upon to prevent from catastrophes.

When sitting in the large beautiful Convention Centre in Jakarta, I was too excited to hear the Al Gore thoughts on Climate solutions. There was a time I had been into my mix feelings of happiness and sadness when Al Gore talked about Pakistan- my country. Although unfortunate that Pakistan has now become example for the world whenever there is something to talk about climate change internationally, but I was happy that a great person like Al Gore talk for Pakistan and our people.

My heart passionately thanked Al Gore when he expressed his feelings for the people of Pakistan and his desire for the better of life in Pakistan by the world needed to take immediate action on global carbon reduction. Not only for me, but I am sure that many other presenters would have this feeling for our people when Al Gore showed the map of Pakistan in his slideshow with flood water inundating more than half of the country’ area. People of the Queensland would perhaps realize more the situation after going through, unfortunately, such a difficult time in their lives due to record flooding since 1974.

I am happy to hear from Al Gore that after the massive flooding in Pakistan, our president talked to Al Gore for his support to understand how flooding relates to climate change and how we can better protect from such catastrophes in future. More than happy, that Al Gore has kindly accepted the request. Well, I feel it as a dire need that our government should take critical and timely action to help our people adapt to climate change.

I am so much thankful to Angela and Amanda who were very kind to provide me the opportunity to talk to the 350 presenters from 21 Asia-Pacific countries during the “Inspire sessions”. By this now I also remember Nadia Hadad holding MIC and inviting me on the stage!! It was of course, an honor for me to be among the four presenters who were selected to talk for ten minutes each to share their stories in fight against climate change with diverse group of presenters sitting in the hall. My heartiest thanks to TCP for allowing me to deliver my presentation on why I act on climate change and how we work in Pakistan with our volunteer connectors in Pakistan. Being the existing TCP presenter and District Manager, I really loved to play my role as group facilitator during the entire summit and enjoyed question & answer session where I joined other District Managers to respond to the questions of our fellow presenters from different countries.

I enjoyed learning the stories of self, us and now and I found how amazing Oliver McColl was to build our capacity to facilitate other fellows in rest of the sessions. What an experience to learn “Camp Obama narrative skills”.

So right now sitting in my plane and flying just over the Arabian Sea, I want to make another promise with myself…

And the promise is- after personally trained by Al Gore on climate change solutions, I would do my level best to spread the word in Pakistan, engage more audiences and make them aware on how we are able to solve the climate crisis in Pakistan. This is the time when our people really need support to be aware and able to adapt to the changing weather patterns. May my Allah help me in this struggle… Amin

Oki… Now as I am getting near to the Dubai, so let me wait for this flight to be safely landed and I get some rest, get access to internet and post my blog…

Ending at 11:15pm, January 13, 2011

Asif

We need happiness with the start of New Year..

2010-12-23T15:23:00.004+05:00

The dry cold December is on its way to hand us over to the New Year. I saw people getting ready to rejoice the New Year. Plans are there to have new celebrations around the world. And in few hours more smiles would wrap faces of hundreds of thousands with the start of Christmas day.

It’s so nice to search for happiness. Every little or big opportunity that could bring happiness in lives is of great worth. Perhaps more in case when there are lots of barriers in the way of happiness- poverty, disasters, away from the loved ones.

It’s almost five months now when disastrous flood in Pakistan snatched happiness from thousands of people- little children, women and their families. Standing water in Sindh still prevent people in many parts of Sindh province to go back to their area of origin, where they could find their happiness once again. I understand the way to happiness would still be a long journey for those who will recall their loved ones, their muddy but beautiful houses, their destroyed lands where they cultivated and always felt happiness after having crops ready with their days and months long hard work in field.

Pakistan flood that came this July, August perhaps look a matter of no concern when our politicians have their fights with breaking old ties and searching for the new ones and having first objective of securing power in the current instable political scenario. Generously helping the victims soon after the catastrophe by international community, aid agencies and Pakistan army, a limited struggle for rehabilitation continue silently. It was unfortunate that international media focused more on few controversial issues than the massive disaster happened in the living history of Pakistan. I still remember the words of Ban Ki-Moon, in his speech saying Pakistan flood a slow motion tsunami with its impacts more than the earthquakes of Pakistan and Haiti and that of tsunami itself. Perhaps this is now even more unfortunate that both the media and politics of Pakistan has shown much diversion from its focus on Pakistan flood and its affectees but having all the time discussion on changing political ties in the country.

For me, the challenge of restoring lives of flood survivors is much important than the current political games, show case of Wiki Leaks or the stupid debate on crickets spot fixing. At least, no one fighting with live in the aftermath of flood would have any interest on these issues, rather having their priority to feed their children, protect themselves from harsh winter and arrange medicines in ghot, chak or kaley (villages) where they won’t found a proper health facility.
The world has just finished talking, debating and agreeing during the recent UN talks in Cancun on what measures they could take to protect the world from climate catastrophes. Although non-binding, still it is encouraging to see agreements on many issues between the rich and poor nations (except Bolivia). Again, the result would not come in front until we have some concrete actions taken and help people to protect their lives from changing weather patterns and extreme events like of Pakistan flood this year.

We would love to see how our government becomes more interested and keen to look at possible opportunities after the Cancun talks in the best interests of climate affectees in Pakistan. Our people need happiness with the start of New Year, not the politics...

Photo: channel 4 News

Success story of Rashda- a Connector from Pakistan

2010-11-25T00:23:00.015+05:00

Rashda is a voluntary climate campaigner in Pakistan. Belonging originally from the beautiful valley of Kashmir area, she believes that empowering females in sustainable livelihoods at local level and replicating good practices through trained female entrepreneurs at village level would contribute in the well being of poor families, helping them adapt to climate risks and improve their food security.

Early this year, Rashda, being her expertise in organic farming, decided to help our voluntary initiative "We ecopreneurs" by training three village women as entrepreneurs from the sub division Balakot (Pakistan) and helped them how to promote organic farming/kitchen gardening at local level and market their produce to earn income for their families.

Believing on strengths of village women, Rashda motivated three females (Qudsia, Sonia and Sehrish) by imparting series of orientation sessions among their communities on climate change and food security. She was able to actively engage a women CBOs in Balakot and started organic kitchen gardening competition programme to motivate village women towards environment friendly livelihoods.

Qudsia, Sonia and Sehrish, after understanding what climate change is and how it is impacting their lives, first got willingness from their families and started growing turnips crop in small plots near their homes . They found it easy to grow when they learnt about organic farming from Rashda. Successfully, these women were able to sell their produce in a local market and earned a good profit as well.

To further motivate these village women, Rashda distributed cash prizes among them and linked them with National Agriculture Research Center Islamabad (NARC).To simply replicating the good practice, Rashda was able to provide free of cost seeds from NARC to Qudsia, Sonia and Sehrish who further distributed these seeds among more than 50 local females. The three women entrepreneurs would now further assist village women to start home based organic kitchen gardening and earn at local level.

Rashda is quite happy by starting this initiative in Balakot and successfully motivating village women to engage in environment friendly and locally sustainable source of earning. She anticipates that such initiatives will contribute much in improving economic activities among village women and helping them improve their adaptation capacity against climate crisis.

Rashda, orienting local females on climate change and importance of organic farming

Sehrish after receiving training was able to start organic kitchen gardening near her home in Balakot

Ready crop

Next step would be to sell it out in local market with the help of their male family members

Prizes distribution on successful initiative

Qudsia, after being trained on organic farming is able to share learning with rest of the females in the village

Future planning!!

Rashda work in a local NGO- SRSP and also climate project connector from Pakistan.

What Climate Change is in the eyes of flood survivors in Pakistan

2010-11-08T01:59:00.008+05:00

Last year when I was in Australia, attending Al Gore’ training on climate change, I never thought by that time how much visible and catastrophic can be the impacts of climate change in our own lives. Living fortunately in one of the greenest areas of Pakistan- Mansehra, I had been observing how the time kept on changing our local environment. I observed gradual changes such as decreasing forest cover over the mountains, late start of winter and hot summers just like in the western part of the country. Often these changes were long term which others would have also felt but never realize its cause if not known to the science of climate change.

And then we witnessed the massive flooding which changed everything in Pakistan. Last year, I learned from The Climate Project training that climate change will cause more disasters on our planet, unexpected in its occurrence, horrible in its magnitude and devastating in its impact on human lives and economy. This is all what we witnessed in the aftermath of Pakistan flood this July-August 2010. Although the flood water has gone (Sindh province still inundated with flood water), the catastrophe has left awful impacts on the lives of survivors. People have lost their livelihood’ means and worried about the future of their families and children. Nobody other than the climate affectees can well share how climate change does really mean and this is what I heard last month from number of flood affectees living in the worst affected villages of KPK province.

I had only heard the name of flood but due to the heavy rains this time we have seen such a destructive flood which has taken everything away from us. People says we have not seen a flood like this during the last 130 years, said a 70 years old Mrs. Basri from district Charssada. She further shared; “my two sons have lost their houses. I can see the diseases have increased now. Prices have increased. Our children are not able to continue their education. My children who were working on daily wages on the farms of others are no more able to work due to the destruction of agriculture lands”.

One of the most devastating impacts of the flooding is the survivors’ vulnerability in terms of difficulties in restoring their livelihoods. I met with few farmers who were able to evacuate their family’ members but have lost their precious fertile land and crops, being the main source of their earning. Ehsan Ullah, one of the farmer from the Charssada district shared his story; I am a tenant and I have to pay Rs. 7,000/- to the landowner against the 4 canal (half acre) of crop land. We have to pay this money to the landowner either we produce less or more. This year when we had already paid the money to the landowner, the flood has swept away all the crops and now I have nothing in my hand. He further added, “Every year, we face flooding up to 2-3 feet only every summer and during the monsoon season, but it only affected our lands, but this time it was just too much. Flood water came up to 13 feet in our village. It not only destroyed our lands but also destroyed our houses and everything we had in our houses”

Pakistan, already ambushed into the challenges of insecurity and economic crisis, has now gone further back in the race of economic prosperity in the aftermath of massive flooding. Increasing population and now the flood devastation has further limited the economic growth. Even before the flood devastation, climate change had started affecting crops productivity in most of the country rural areas. One of the flood survivor farmers, Siraj from district Nowshera shared his story with me; it is becoming harder to grow and maintain crops production because every year we are flooded during the monsoon from the River Kabul. Due to water logging and salinity, it is becoming harder every year to grow. From 1970s to 2004, villagers used to send 35-40 trucks of tomato only being produced in our lands and earning about 7 million rupees, but from the last 5-6 years, our crops production has reduced and people are now turning toward other labor work. Siraj further added how unexpected the flood was; we were not expecting flood this year as the usual flooding time had already gone, but then the massive flood came and we were not ready for this devastation with such a big magnitude. It damaged everything, our lives, our homes, our belongings and now we are helpless. We have almost lost 250 acres of fertile land due to this unexpected flood and massive rainfall this year.

There are lots of such real stories that someone can hear from flood survivors in Pakistan, quite enough to realize and understand what climate change is in REAL. We all, however need to go beyond this realization. This is the time to act, especially when the world leadership will be meeting in Cancun in few days, to reach a binding agreement and make real efforts to bring down the carbon emission to the desired level. Failure of Cancun would only mean more disasters and more flooding like of Pakistan.

Photo credit: Muhammad Ali, Senior Communication Officer- WV Pakistan

Story of Daniella- passion, children and climate change

2010-10-31T23:26:00.002+05:00

It’s a passionate and inspiring story of Daniella who turned 10 this 10/10/10!

Daniella lives in Canada. She was born in Nigeria while her parents were in Nigeria 10 years ago. This 10/10/10 when the world celebrated global day of action against climate change, little Daniella came up with her innovative but very passionate idea- Support flood affected children in Pakistan by raising $ 1010.10 by Oct 10- the day she would celebrate her 10^th birthday!

When she was born in 2000, the United Nations Millennial Goal of eradicating poverty by half by 2015 was announced. Knowing the fact that 1.2 billion people are still below the poverty line and the UN target seems quite difficult to achieve, Daniella also wanted to do something.

To help Daniella in her fund raising mission, Cathy- one of my friends from Canada, arranged for her to give a speech at a significant community event in Canada. On October 6, 2010, at the Good Green Town Hall for the Municipal Elections, Daniella read the Christian Prayer for eradication of poverty and announced her 10/10/10 goal. Her prayer at the Good Green Town Hall was the same one that was also officially read to 100,000,000 million in churches across the world on 10/10/10.

Starting her one week fund raising mission up to $ 1010.10, Daniella initially collected donations from the Good Green Town Hall, her own school, friends and from her birthday party. By 10/10/10 Daniella was able to raise funds up to $ 1010.10 which she donated for the flood affected children in Pakistan through World Vision.

Its fact that Climate change is everywhere, impacting lives of poor and especially of children. The passion of Daniella and her mission for 10/10/10 shows a universal love for children especially for those who are less fortunate than others. In the aftermath of Pakistan flood where 50% affectees are children out of 21 million, passions like Daniella gives another ray of hope and love in the world of disasters and challenges.

Dedicated to Daniella for her passion and love for the children of Pakistan!

Why wise people say- Every second is precious

2010-10-18T13:09:00.005+05:00

Dear friends, I just want to say how important every second is for us when we advocate on climate crisis...

When we think about our self, our lives and our limited surroundings, we rarely believe the urgency of issues in its true spirit. Often we realize issues in depths when we personally experience them and then we start sharing with friends, family members and people in our lives. Perhaps this is the reason that after massive flooding this July-Aug in Pakistan, we are more emphasizing from Pakistan to spread the word and ask the world leadership to take real action to fight against climate crisis.

However, after seeing one of the wonderful, informative but alarming resource, I think what we are doing is actually too less than what is really happening around the world in every second.As I clicked the website link, the first alarming thing that I observed was the increase in population every second, deaths happening every second and emission of CO2 every second.

http://breathingearth.net/ I noted that just in 1 minute and 54 seconds, 432 people have been born, 147 people have died and 79,000 tones of CO2 has been emitted in the world.

I realize how vital it is to communicate and educate people and ask the world for a Climate with Positive Change. Looking at the website and as the sign of birth and death kept on appearing in different parts of the world, I continuously thought how rapidly the world is changing and how slowly we are advocating for change.I just hope we all realize how important every second in our life is to do some thing for the betterment of humanity.

Please share where you can.

October 15- I start my birthday with a Blog on Water

2010-10-15T19:44:00.003+05:00

October 15- it’s my birthday and it’s also the Blog Action Day for water. I was just thinking what can be a good thing to do to start my day. And then I decided to write my new blog on Water- a basic human right to live and survive.

Thinking about the water crisis and then about my birthday, Iam feeling much concerned of where I am going with every year of my life. Can I really celebrate my birthday when, every year people in my country continue to suffer more and more? And why I am thinking like this… because of one of the facts in my mind right now- fresh water availability per person in Pakistan, as per the UNDP report, has reduced to 20% of what it was available 50 years before. It is not something to ignore.

Why shouldn’t I be much concerned? Only in Karachi city, more than 20,000 deaths are reported every year due to unsafe water. More than 40% deaths in Pakistan are due to water born diseases. 60% infants’ deaths are related to water born infections. Only two rivers’ water in Pakistan i.e. Sindh and Jhelum has relatively better quality, while rest of the three major rivers have major biological loads. Although with less than a percent share in global carbon emission, Pakistan is one of the worst hit countries due to climate catastrophes. The massive flooding that started in July this year in Pakistan is the most evident example in the climate change history when almost one fifth of the country area was under water, impacting more than 21 million people. While flood water was everywhere, not a single drop of clean water was available for thousands of little children, women and their families. Sindh province is still flooded.

Talking about the basic human rights, we often think about freedom of expression, freedom to vote, freedom to move freely, freedom to live a healthy life etc. What about those rights which we often neglect or give less priority in the international debate- ability to access clean drinking water to live. Very simple- if we can’t provide clean drinking water to a child, how is he or she going to live a healthy life and how is he or she going to live long and able to vote in future? About one eighth population of the world i.e. one billion has no access to safe drinking water.

Thinking about future is much concerning with the increasing impacts of climate change in Pakistan and all around the world. In most of the rural Pakistani society, women are usually responsible for fetching water in hard hilly areas in the North and the largely spread deserts in the South. As the changing climate patterns continue to degrade water resources, this is going to increase the hardship of rural women by forcing them travel more in search of water. While 10 to 15 percent reduction in the precipitation rate in the plain arid and southern parts of the country is observed during the past 40 years, the severe droughts of 1999 and 2000 in Pakistan has also sharply reduced the water table.

For the world, especially those who advocate on human rights violation must seriously take into account the severity of environmental rights’ violation, where water crisis comes on priority. This is the message that I, being a climate campaigner, would like to give as I start my birthday on October 15.

Photo: Hanif Khattak

350, the Street children in Pakistan and road to Cancun via Tianjin

2010-10-12T22:17:00.002+05:00

10/10/10- It was just an amazing day how beautifully and largely 350 coordinated all around the world. Celebrating 7,347 events simultaneously in 188 countries, I am thinking what a success it is in climate advocacy.

Being a climate campaigner with The Climate Project and now in coordination with the amazing 350 campaign, I feel excited that we in World Vision Pakistan provided an exciting opportunity to the most vulnerable segment of the society i.e. the STREET CHILDREN and SPECIAL CHILDREN in Pakistan who joined their hands and voices with thousands of the climate campaigners around the globe and celebrated Global Work Party in Pakistan.

Here are few of the photos that shows how these vulnerable children gave a strong message to the entire world to take action against climate crisis. Perhaps these children in Pakistan are more concerned for their future than those talking about climate change right now in Tianjin and those who will be in Cancun this December.

It’s less than a week time now: street children in Pakistan getting ready for 10/10/10

2010-10-05T10:24:00.005+05:00

It is now less than a week time when thousands of the Global Work Party organizers will showcase different events on climate change, street children in Pakistan will also raise their voice and ask the world to take action against climate change.

Children in the World Vision Drop In Center Rawalpindi are busy in the preparation to celebrate 10/10/10 with rest of the world.

World Vision Pakistan is working with the most vulnerable street children in Pakistan and believes that these children have the full right to raise their voice and advocate with the world to take action against climate change. For us, this is more important than ever before especially when the entire country is facing the worse impacts of massive flooding that affected more than 21 million people.

As 350 coordinates around the world to celebrate 10/10/10 Global Work Party, the street children getting psychosocial and other capacity building support in World Vision Pakistan Drop In Center will also come forward to make the world realize and play their due role to ensure safe planet free of disasters.

Street children will plan full day celebration with different role plays, shows, painting, showcase of crafts made by reuse and recycle material, display of key messages and interaction with the civil society and government officials.The day celebration will also give a new start of campaigning in World Vision Pakistan for fight against climate change

The full day celebration will happen on 10/10/10 in the World Vision Drop In Center, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

This 10/10/10 street children in Pakistan will have a voice for the world

2010-10-02T19:10:00.001+05:00

World call them street children.. they are neglected, they are exploited...

However for us, they are the same children, like those who enjoy their beautiful lives with their parents and friends....

When temperature reaches 54 degree C in Mohenjo Daro (Pakistan) this summer...

When massive flooding hit Pakistan and affect more than 21 million population this monsoon...

When 50% being affected from this flooding are the children...

Then who is going to ask and know how these children and their families will survive and celebrate life...

Nobody knows how poverty and climate change hit their lives and multiply their hardships... they are most vulnerable... but they are also the agents of change. And this is what they are going to show this 10/10/10 to the world.

This 10/10/10 World Vision Pakistan (WVP) will join hands with the 350 to celebrate Global Work Party in Rawalpindi, Pakistan by engaging the most vulnerable street children to create mass awareness on climate change and advocate with the world to seek its solutions.

On 10/10/10, the most vulnerable street children from the Pakistan community, with whom WV is working to empower them as agents of change, will inform the world about the increasing impacts of Climate Change on our people, specially on children and will demand for a strong action.

WVP, along with 350 will mark 10/10/10 as a full day celebration for Global Work Party by engaging the street children in Pakistan. WVP work with the children at risk and provides them different capacity building, health, education and recreational facilities in its Drop In Center (DIC) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan with the participation of their parents and care givers and mainstream them into development process.

On 10/10/10 these street children will perform different awareness raising and recreational activities on climate change like role plays, tablue along with the special children of minorities group, display of key messages and banners, paintings and exhibition of different crafts made of re-use and recycled material by the street children. These children will also participate in the event where the employees of the city district government Rawalpindi and the members of WVP’ Community Support Groups will organize cleanliness of a garbage dumping point in the Rawalpindi city.

WVP and 350 believe that on 10/10/10, these most vulnerable street children of Pakistan will play a role of champions in creating mass awareness on climate change. This day, the street children from WVP’ DIC will give a very strong message to the world for taking firm actions and protect the lives of vulnerable children and their families from the worse impacts of climate change.

InterAcademy Council report is not negating the realities of Climate Change.

2010-09-05T21:57:00.003+05:00

Soon after the InterAcademy Council published the report on August 30, 2010 on the process and procedure of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), skeptics found it a smart way of advocating their own agenda to divert people attention from urgency of action on climate change. I have gone through a same kind of an article which tries to blame IPCC and climate campaigners and put together a number of statements from the InterAcademy Council report, which a reader, who has less knowledge about climate science, would start believing that climate change is not real and people like Al Gore have their own interest in the climate game.

I am not a scientist, but having some sufficient background knowledge and some work experience as climate campaigner, at least I am not among those who would be impressed by the articles of such skeptics. The extreme events i.e. massive flooding in Pakistan and wildfires in Russia, are consistent with the climate models. Interestingly, the deniers’ efforts are following the same example of “Glass half empty”. In the case of criticism on fourth Assessment report-2007 by IPCC, here the glass is almost filled. Only the two errors coming out from the report doesn’t mean that climate change is not real. A good thing is the acceptance of IPCC on these two errors and an excellent thing is to invite InterAcademy Council to convene a committee to review the process and procedure of the IPCC so that IPCC could make more efforts to minimize the chances of errors in its future reports.

For me, learning and improving process is important for everyone, either for an individual or for an organization. The scientists and the staff in the IPCC are also human beings and nobody can be perfect. The important thing is to learn from mistakes but not to deny it. I found it quite interesting that the argument of deniers on the basis of InterAcademy Council report are still based on the those errors which the IPCC has already accepted. I didn’t find anything in the report which would say that Climate Change is not real. According to the Inter Academy Council report, “The Committee found that the IPCC assessment process has been successful overall”. Similarly the committee mentioned about the IPCC that “More than a thousand volunteer scientists evaluate the available scientific, technological, and socioeconomic information on climate change, and draft and review the assessment reports. The thousands of scientists and government representatives who work on behalf of the IPCC in this non-traditional partnership are the major strength of the organization”

The major recommendations coming from the InterAcademy Council report is to improve the process and procedure, which I think is not a bad thing. Given, the advancements of technologies and interest of the audiences, definitely the innovation, efficiency and effectiveness are the indispensable characteristics to satisfy the needs of people. The IPCC should now evaluate the key findings of InterAcademy Council and decide where they need improvement in governance and management, review process, characterizing and communicating uncertainty, communication and transparency. The IPCC would definitively have its own say on the functioning of its three working groups on quantitative likelihood scale, quantitative confidence scale and the level-of-understanding scale in future reports, however, the evaluation by report will also help the IPCC to be more effective than before.

I wonder if the IPCC can accept its mistake on the two errors, out of the excellent work done on its fourth assessment report, then why don’t these skeptics accept their mistakes that they are committing by advocating the agenda that climate change is not real. IPCC assessment report is written on 2,823 pages, written by 1,325 authors and having the 17,969 unique sources. Only the two errors don’t mean that climate change is not real and that’s why the InterAcademy Council report mainly talks about further improving the process and procedure. It doesn’t say anything against the realities of Climate Change.

I would never wish my country to become an example of climate vulnerabilities...

2010-09-01T11:54:00.004+05:00

This weekend I was going through a new slides on Climate Change coming from The Climate Project Australia. Almost each and every slide has a message of change behind it, that I personally think, we need to spread among those who don't know it. While going through the slides, my mind directed my finger, not to click on next slide further, as I saw the word Pakistan. The slide says-

A few years later Multan, Pakistan, the temperature soared to 126°F (~52°C). The average high summer temperature in Multan is 108°F (42°C).

And then the other slide after it....

In 2010, Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan experienced a high temperature of 129°F (~54C). This is the highest temperature ever recorded in Pakistan and possibly the fourth highest ever recorded in the world.

And then I got another email from a subscribed source "Repower America" reading that - Around the globe, we are on track to see the hottest year yet in 2010. From the flooding in Pakistan to droughts in Russia and landslides in China, the effects of this year's extreme weather are catastrophic and undeniable.

For a while I was thinking, whether the name of Pakistan being highlighted in the current international debate on climate change- such as increasing extreme events is of what importance for us? Are we able to highlight the impacts of climate change on the country like Pakistan and many others, being neglected before or it is a real point of concerns for us living in Pakistan that now we are more vulnerable than before due to the impacts of Climate Change.

Being a humanitarian, I would never wish that the name of my country become an example in Climate Debate. I would like that my country and every country in the world do not face the miseries because of climate change. But this is the fact that Pakistan is now experiencing more impacts and this is what the changing weather pattern and increasing number of natural disasters like the current flooding in Pakistan is now bringing us more in the talks.

There are number of the countries who are experiencing the impacts of climate change and I would never wish that any extreme event make them "unfortunately known" in the list of most vulnerable one. This is the time that the world leadership become more serious before the Mexico summit and do not let more countries like Pakistan to become more and more vulnerable due to increasing impacts of climate change.

This is the time for action and this is the time for showing seriousness. We don't want to see more news like "20 million affected in due to massive flooding in Pakistan". Let this world be a safe place for all of us and for those in future who will only be talking about our behavior' responsiveness for mother earth.

Do you hear me?

2010-09-01T11:41:00.003+05:00

I was very safe and secure, I was with my family and I was able to feed my child. I had my own home where I used to wait for my child to come back from school and we eat together.

But now everything is changed. I don’t know why…

I am not safe because flood has taken my home. My child was sleeping very calm but now the heat of sun is not allowing him to sleep. I am hungry, I don’t feel it because my child is hungry. I am helpless. I don’t know why…

I was happy with my little family and I was not afraid of strangers. But now I am scare, I am exposed, I have no privacy. I have problems but whom to talk, whom to share. Why this happened to me. I don’t know why…

My husband was earning. He had a small land. We loved our crops, we loved our seeds. But now we have no crop, we have no seeds. Our land is under water, our paths are underwater. I don’t know why…

I eat with my family, together or after. I was very happy. Now I stand in line, now I wait in line. I don’t know why…

My village was beautiful. My land was green. Some time I planted a fruit tree, some time a vegetable. Now the flood has taken its beauty and ruined the plants. Water is life then why it became harsh. I don’t know why…

I loved the nature and I planted flowers, I was a friend to motherland. Then why the nature got too angry upon me and my family? I don’t know why…

I am a woman, a daughter, a mother, a sister.

I am also a human like you…

I have my own dignity, I have my rights and I have my life…

But where I go now, where I feed my child and where I protect myself. The land is hot, the tent is warm. I have lots of question but I have no answers, I don’t know why…

Do you hear me?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Few silent words in the hearts of thousands of women displaced by flooding in Pakistan…

Australia’ climate score card must go beyond the border…

2010-09-01T11:38:00.003+05:00

I personally got fascinated from the campaigns of number of Australians who evaluated the inclination of their politicians and parties before the election towards climate change policies and mandates for the future of Australia. I was particularly impressed on the thoughts that an Australian had in his or her mind to vote for a leader who is really committed to the sustained and environment friendly development, clean energy and support to those countries who are vulnerable due to the climate impacts. Success of number of the Greens and independent candidates, as I read it in the few blogs here, that could get the support from such campaigners/people is something really different for me to think and ask from myself- Why only the Australian? Why not the people of poor countries and why not the Pakistanis? These thoughts must go beyond the border of Australia.

For me, if it is important for an Australian to expect from his or her leader to be more thoughtful towards climate change mitigation and finding ways for clean energy and less emission of greenhouse gases, then it should also be the case for people in the poor countries as well to demand for action on climate change adaptation from their politicians. For a country like Pakistan, where people and society in rural areas still need voters’ education and awareness and allowing women from tribal areas to vote, it is not yet a trend among communities to vote for a leader who also take into account the consideration for safe environment. In fact the vicious circle of poverty make people’ demand from their politicians limited to the drinking water supply schemes, link roads, source of livelihood, small jobs etc. Due to lack of awareness about climate change among our people and its long term impacts on their lives and livelihoods, the political parties’ manifestos often neglect priorities for safe environment which is vital for sustainable development in the country. This is one of the reasons that Pakistan is going through a worse situation now a days because of climate catastrophe in the shape of massive flooding.

Although being a non-political, however being a climate campaigner, I think we should take steps in promoting awareness among communities and motivate them to vote for the leaders that bring their political manifestos with priorities for climate change adaptation. The priorities should address the needs for sustainable food security, improved health and disaster mitigation against the climate related vulnerabilities, water conservation, green jobs/ecopreneurship at national level and priorities for international advocacy and decisions that empower ruling parties to strongly advocate on international forum for their people’ vulnerabilities and for a safe earth.

After being impacted from the worse climate crisis in the aftermath of abnormal rains and massive flooding in Pakistan, the thinking of our people and specially those 20 million affected should take a new direction now. Our people and specially those becoming vulnerable due to the absence of shelter, food, drinking water and widespread epidemics must have now different thinking about future leadership and democracy. Next election in Pakistan must have an impact from campaigns that give priorities for climate change adaptation and international advocacy. I think we should learn from this good practice from the Australians and those numbers of organizations who advocated for a leadership selection with a true spirit for a safe and clean environment, not only for the people of Australia but also for the rest of the world.

We Ecopreneurs- empowering local village women for sustainable income generation

2010-09-01T11:12:00.005+05:00

Recently our campaign Climate Project Connectors started a new voluntary initiative “We Ecopreneurs” to empower local village women in the sub division Balakot (Pakistan) by exploiting opportunities for income generation through organic farming. There are reasons that we started this initiative.

The first thing is the conservative rural society that always obstructs women to access income generation opportunities as compared to men. This makes them dependent and excluded from decision making. Women usually work in fields to help their male members but their work is often unrewarded. Another reason is that inorganic methods of farming and other interrelated factors have negative impact on local environment and natural resources.

The solution we opted in this regard was to laugh a competition among three selected village women. One of our female volunteer (we call them connector in our campaign) Ms. Rashda, selected three potential village women through a women organization (WO). The connector voluntarily trained these women in preparation of plot, selection of indigenous vegetable seeds, use of organic fertilizer and organic pest management. In the next step the selected women also received orientation on sale and marketing of produce to earn income as well as to make them aware of food insecurity due to the impacts of climate change. Introducing these village women as ecopreneurs through regular mentorship is also one of the objectives of this initiative.

Rashda is one of our active Connectors from Pakistan. She is working with Sarhad Rural Support Programme, under the ICMC funded project in Tehsil Balakot, where she is working with the extremely vulnerable individuals and mainstream them into development process at hamlet, village and union council level. Rashda selected these three women with the help of village organization that they have formed under the pilot project. She aims to make the local women aware and help them to promote and access their rights in the society.

This is a pilot initiative of the Climate Project Connectors to link environment and income generation in sustainable manner. The competition in this initiative is also an innovation for local women. The woman who will get more profit from the sale of produce will get the first cash prize and so the 2nd and 3rd position as well. This will be an encouragement for these ecopreneurs to increase the culture of organic kitchen gardening in future and be self sustained. There is a noteworthy observation that due to the heavy monsoon rains and massive flooding in Pakistan, the families of those three women also shifted to surrounding areas and Mansehra city along with other affected households, however after the flood water went down and families returned to their village in Balakot, the plots fortunately remained safe from the landslide and the seed of turnips have also started germination.

Our voluntary campaign is very optimistic for the success of this pilot initiative of organic competition that will start giving results in the coming three to four weeks. We look forward to engage more women to seek environment friendly income generation opportunities for their livelihoods by promoting the “We Ecopreneurs” idea.

An analysis on Pakistan flood- Our Science, the catastrophe and future trend

2010-08-27T15:04:00.003+05:00

The increasing number of extreme events in Pakistan, China and Russia show that climate change impacts in this region are more visible now. The people of Pakistan are facing a second time natural disaster during the past decade in shape of massive flooding in August 2010, after the devastating earthquake in 2005. Unlike the death toll in earthquake of 2005 (80,000 people), human lose in the Pakistan flood is much lower (approximately 1600). However, According to the UN, the displacement and economic lose is more than loses of the Tsunami and the earthquakes of Haiti and Pakistan. UN Secretary General called the Pakistan flood as a slow motion Tsunami where more than 20 million people have been affected. There are number of factors that triggered Pakistan flood, however three are more important; Changing weather/shift in monsoon system in Pakistan due to climate change, Geography of the country and poor flood management system and Lack of community’ capacity to cope with the flood devastation.

Weather change in Pakistan: Pakistan average temperature increase recorded since 1900 has reached 1 degree Celsius, which is more than the global average temperature increase. In May 2006, Multan temperature scored 52 degree Celsius, while in May 2010, Mehenjodaro temperature reached to the record 54 degree Celsius in the history of Pakistan. According to the climate scientists, one of the major impacts of climate change in South Asian region, including Pakistan will be the shift in the monsoon pattern and abnormal rainfall. According to the Pakistan metrological department, during the last 40 years, precipitation has decreased 10 to 15 percent in the plain arid and coastal areas while increased in the northern parts. The current flood in Pakistan is the example of climate shift, while some scientists are also saying that this is a kind of natural disaster that happens once in the century. Scientists also believe that each and every single natural disaster cannot be attributed to the climate change, however massive flooding in Pakistan due to abnormal monsoon rainfall has connections with the changes in the earth ecosystem due to global warming and climate change.

According to Qamar Zaman, director general of Pakistan metrological department, an abnormal monsoon system from Bay of Bengal entered into Pakistan and a rainfall of about 400 millimeters (16 inches) in mountainous areas in the far north of Pakistan and adjoining parts of Afghanistan between July 28 and 29 triggered a torrent of water down the Indus and Kabul Rivers, which was a record in the history of Pakistan. Explaining the possible links of Pakistan flood with the climate change, Qamar Zaman said “the area very rarely receives monsoon rains," pointing to the risk of the monsoon belt shifting as well as changes in the intensity of the monsoon. He said the current floods could also be blamed to some degree on deforestation and more people living in flood-prone areas as the population keeps growing. Pakistan has lost vast areas of forest over the past few decades, while overgrazing often strips degraded land of whatever plant cover is left.

Future trend in South Asian region and Pakistan: According to the scientists, in coming years, monsoon rains in Pakistan will be more abnormal and unexpected. Climate models show that heavy monsoon precipitation has increased in frequency in Pakistan and western India during the recent years. In July 2005, Mumbai was deluged by almost 950mm of rain in just one day, and more than 1,000 people were killed in floods in the state of Maharashtra. Last year, deadly flash floods hit northwestern Pakistan, and Karachi was also flooded. According to the scientists, the global warming will increase the trend of extremes of rainfall which is a growing worldwide trend. Looking at the climatic trends in South Asia, in addition to more extreme rainfall, there is also a reduction of ice over the Tibetan plateau and changing precipitation patterns, with less snow at higher levels, plus more rapid run-off from mountains. The monsoon winds and precipitation can be higher in north-west India and Pakistan and weaker in the north-east. This year with the strong rainfall in the north-west, there is no pronounced decrease in the north-east.

The geography and flood management in Pakistan: The geography of the country, together with the poor flood management system makes this country more vulnerable to floods in Pakistan. The catchment area of the River Swat and Kabul together with melting of glaciers in north increase flow of river water during the monsoon and summer season in the five rivers system and put a large population at risk, living near the rivers. Siltation in rivers has also reduced their capacity. According to the scientists, Sindh River was a monster river some 6000 years before, and then some 4000 years before, its large part dried up. Some scientists believe that changing weather pattern can once again make Sindh River the monster one. In January 1977, Pakistan established Federal Flood Commission, under the ministry of Water and Power for the purpose of integrated flood management on the country wide basis. However, the performance of the commission has remained very disappointing.

Pakistan has a good irrigation system from the five different rivers flowing in the country; however, it lacks proper rainwater harvesting or storage system, particularly to conserve water in the northern and catchments areas. Lack of political will, controversy over the issues of dams’ constructions and lesser attention towards utilizing rain and river waters in more efficient ways lead to wastage of rivers’ water which go down and fall into Arabian Sea without any use. Pakistan forest cover is only 4.7%, while according to the federal minister of environment; annual 14000h forest is depleted in Pakistan which is also a matter of high concern. Massive deforestation also contributed in the flash flood in Pakistan. In Addition, the rainfall was more than 10 times of the rivers’ capacity which had to find its way out towards the plain areas at the both sides of the rivers.

Lack of community capacity: The flood of August 2010 rendered more than 20 million people in Pakistan vulnerable and helpless. So far the estimates by the government show that 1600 people died due to the massive flooding. More than 1000 people died only in KPK provinces, which is more than 60% of total human loses in the aftermath of flood. It is interesting to analyze that the flood hit the KPK province first and due to the lack of early warning system, less time for evacuation and lack of community’ awareness about changing weather pattern, more people died in the KPK. The scale of flooding was also immense in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, however relatively on time information, the communities could make it possible to evacuate from the risky location, thus having fewer casualties than the KPK, however, are now more vulnerable due to absence of immediate needs like shelter, food and health.

People living near the rivers bank are more vulnerable due to potential risk of flooding. Poverty and unawareness are the other factors which limit the communities’ capacity to take appropriate adaptation measures and protect themselves from the devastation of natural disasters such as floods. According to the Andrew Ash, who leads a climate adaption programme for Australia's state-funded research body the CSIRO, “Pakistan, like any flood-prone country, needed early warning systems, better storage of drinking water, even to move people from vulnerable areas”. Even if the option is to move from the locations, it is difficult for the poor families to leave the areas as they can’t afford new construction or they don’t have resources (cash, land etc). Climate Change adaptation in this situation is vital for the people of Pakistan.

May our children not be afraid of clouds next time

2010-08-23T14:20:00.003+05:00

I love photography and I love to capture the beauty of nature through my camera’ eye… It was the evening of 27th July and I left my office to go back to home. The pleasant cloudy evening with cool breeze made me totally forgot that it was actually a hot summer in my country. I was walking on a link road, having a widespread land of green fields on its rights side. While looking far the mountain and clouds surrounding its peak, I couldn’t stop myself to take my camera from my bag and I took a few photographs that time. I really wanted to capture the beautiful scenery of the nature that time.
While going back to my home and looking at the photographs in my camera, I was thinking how lucky I am to live in such an amazing and God gifted part of this world. I used to transfer photographs from my camera to my online collection of photographs on the very night, but this time that I couldn’t do this.

I never knew the clouds that are gathering around the hill peaks would bring a lot of monsoon rain in my country and will make about 20 million of my country men, women and children homeless. I never knew the rain we used to love every summer to reduce the heat intensity would actually make our people more expose to sun’ rays after the massive flooding would sweep away thousands of houses that our people constructed to live a happy life. I never knew the monsoon this year will be more devastating that will bring almost half of my country under the flood water.

While writing this all now, I still believe that the nature has never been bad to the human beings, nor the clouds that come and give us rain water are bad. I will never say that the water, being the gift of God, has taken lives of so many innocent people, little children and smashed out their houses. Water is life and it is the blessing of God for every one of us. I just believe in a very simple formula that, if we disturb the nature, the nature will disturb us. It is even not the human being whom we would consider accountable to disturb the nature, rather these are those un-natural acts that create problems for the human beings- the acts of emitting greenhouse gases, cutting of trees and disturbing the nature.

I really loved to hear this yesterday that a thief is not a bad person, but it is actually the act that the thief do. He is not bad because he is a human being and creature of God. So we really need to change those practices that make our nature disturbed. Today, as I see half of my country under the water and people struggling to find a safe place and children crying for food and water, I would never blame human beings to be responsible for all this, rather I would condemn those practices in the name of so called development that can make the lives of fewer one prosperous but create lots of hardships in the lives of many, such as the 20 million people in Pakistan who are without any shelter, food and clean drinking water.

With a big heart to see and feel all the miseries and hardships, I would still give this message to everyone in this world that; love the nature and the human beings who belong to it. Make this world a place worth living for everyone. May our children not be afraid of clouds next time, but to always welcome the love of nature in its all fullness.

Action against Climate Change is the only option…

2010-08-13T09:20:00.002+05:00

According to the United Nations, 460 million dollars are needed on emergency basis to respond to flood crisis in Pakistan. UN estimated this amount in his Emergency Response Plan to cope with the immediate needs raised after the worse ever devastation due to unexpected monsoon rains started in the last week of July 2010.

Initial assessment show that damages after the flood are more than the 2005’ earthquake of Pakistan and of Tsunami. UN estimated about 14 million people affected across Pakistan. Only in Punjab province 8 million people are affected. Numbers of affected people in KPK province are 4.72 million, Sindh 1.1 million, Baluchistan 2.7 million, Kashmir 24,000 and Northern Area 8,000 people. Numbers of destroyed houses in Punjab province are 84,000, KPK 172,000, Baluchistan 20,000, Kashmir 4,000 and Northern Areas, 1,000 houses. Women, little children and people with disability have become extremely vulnerable in this situation.

The flash appeal of UN is required for food, drinking water, shelter, sanitation, health and non food items for flood survivors. Some 1200 people died due to massive flooding and collapse of houses. Only in KPK district, 9000mm rain has been recorded in one week which the province usually receive entire year. There is a big risk of food crisis after damages to crops, while outbreak of water born diseases is getting high after the flooding. According to the UN, humanitarian crisis may hit high due to food shortage and water born diseases.

This is all what our people are facing due to unexpected weather patterns resulting from climate change. Lack of government capacity to respond to this humanitarian crisis will exacerbate the situation. For me and many, immediate support to flood survivors is vital, however, until the world leadership don’t become serious to take action against climate change and side by side, governments become more efficient and transparent in good governance, tragedies like in Pakistan will continue to hit the dignity of people around the world due to man-made natural disasters.

Photo: Guardian

Climate Catastrophe in Pakistan.... Media' eye on buildings' collapse

2010-08-02T12:17:00.004+05:00

The unexpected heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan continue to do more damages to properties and lose of precious human lives in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province of Pakistan. According to media, about 2.5 million people have been affected while about 1500 died due to heavy monsoon rains, flooding and collapse of houses.

A local media personal have captured how buildings are collapsing due to the flood. It’s just another face of helplessness for those poor women, children and their families affected from the catastrophe.

Thanks to Pakistan army and United States of America for start of emergency response and reaching people and rescuing them from the flood affected areas. Still lots of people are trapped and need evacuation, food and first aid.

Photo: Sky News

Before you go to Mexico...

2010-08-01T00:56:00.005+05:00

Sorry if it frustrates some one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnKD6RsWI68

What has happened:
According to the Pakistan Television News, death toll due to deadly and unexpected monsoon may cross 1500. More than 1000 precious lives are confirmed dead, while 2.5 millions people are affected. Dams already filled, roads, bridges, houses, crops, livestock, every thing almost vanished in most parts of KPK and Baluchistan province in particular. Punjab, Sindh to be the next victim…

Why this is happening:
Besides the fact that every year monsoon rains affect Pakistan with flooding and landslide but this time the disaster was worse in history of last 34 years. The simple answer is CLIMATE CHANGE. CLIMATE CHANGE bring adverse and unexpected disasters due to global emission of greenhouse gases from burning of fossil fuel, deforestation, industrial pollution etc. This global environmental pollution causes global warming and changes earth echo-system. The outcome is more frequent and deadly disasters, particularly in poor countries.

CLIMATE CHANGE and flooding in Pakistan:
According to Pakistan Met Department, current monsoon spell is unexpected which caused massive destruction in the country. While the regular monsoon spell will start from August 2, 2010, means more damages to happen.

Who is doing this:
Of course this disaster and all others are not because of our sin (mis-perception). The reality is that the UNEXPECTED MONSOON IS THE RESULT OF GLOBAL CARBON EMISSION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION caused by the few rich and developing countries of the world.

Responsibility of Pakistan government and the world:
Pakistan government is responsible to expedite response and accountable to reach each and every affectee for early recovery. Government is also responsible for doing necessary pre-arrangements to protect our people from flooding and landslide that happen every year. But this is ACTUALLY the responsibility of the world countries, particularly those who are responsible for historical and current global carbon emission/environmental pollution to control/reduce their dirty pollution of greenhouse gases so that countries like Pakistan do not face such disasters.

Last words:
We ask Pakistan government to increase disaster response and don't wait for next year flooding. Do something before the next disaster. Don't let the disaster management authorities to take rest in eleven months and then run here and there in the monsoon month.

We ask the responsible countries to control environmental pollution and don't let us to pay for their so called development on our lives. We ask world nations to reach binding and fair agreement on CLIMATE CHANGE in the upcoming MEXICO SUMMIT this December 2010.

My question is, if you can't reach to a fair agreement then why don't you simply cancel your trip to Mexico? At least some carbon emission will be reduced if you don't travel, do not stay and consume energy in Mexico COP16...

Thank you

Climate Project Connectors

Connecting over clouds- Something to plan big

2010-07-26T00:02:00.011+05:00

A breath of contentment was fascinating me when we finally reached the soothing and marvelous green resort of Thandiani. We were standing about 9000 feet above sea level where clouds were touching our soul and we were able to see fog passing through the thick forest trees, flying and making their ways all around.

There were moments, we weren’t able to do anything else but to see, feel and walk through the fog and happily requesting friends to capture the silence and satisfaction of nature in the eyes of cameras. And that’s why I am right now facing problem which picture to select and which to drop for my this blog :) I still think there is lot to say how green, beautiful and soothing Thandiani is- a blessing of nature, where one would certainly wish to make this world as green and natural as this part of heaven on earth. Of course we wished it a lot today.

I was happy that our connectors made a right decision in our last quarterly meeting to organize upcoming meeting in this cool hill spot. Memoona, our today’s facilitator and an active connector from Lahore had sent dozen of emails to friends to make sure everything go well in planning. Living in the hot burning Lahore, particularly in this summer of 2010, I could feel how excited she was and spent her day with us in this green resort, along with her family and her cute son Ayan (we call him the youngest Pakistani connector :)

We spent our day in Thandiani, while staying in the cool breeze and fog of heights to plan something big- working out the legal aspects of our national level network on climate change, which is an initiative of Climate Project Connectors. Today, we worked together, sharing with each other our campaign’ progress at individual and organizational level and doing group work to see how our network “Pakistan Environment Club” PEC will show up in big picture.

Jawad- always cooperative so once again today for arranging transport in a changed plan, making order for food and sweetly interrupting during the group work saying, “guys- food is getting cold and would not taste good if you delay more”. We thought, he doesn’t seem interested in the work but later on, he was so good enough upon his turn to shed lights on key legal aspects of our network, its functioning, role and responsibility. And why not, after all Jawad is a lawyer, beside the executive director of Saibaan and a connector from Mansehra.

Naheed thank you for joining us today! Our strong female connector from Mansehra and a sound women activist, we never feel like we will miss role of women in our campaign when Naheed is with us to advocate on women rights. That’s why we were able to give full respect to women empowerment in our future plans.

Rashda, a supportive connector from Abbottabad city, always saying, “Asif, Is Naheed coming along? If not, then would straightaway say, SORRY then I can’t come”. The reason behind this sorry would always be her wish to enjoy every trip to full extent, having the company of her best colleague. I feel proud of her as she, now a days, is a regular mentor of three women, we recently selected from Balakot as “echopreneurs” in our campaign’ initiative “WE ECHOPRENEURS”.

And finally Amjad, our connector from Concern Islamabad, always looking at things very deeply, competent, so always considered as key human resource in organizations he worked with (although Naheed always complain about him why he changes organization so quickly :) ) He was a good contribution for today’s work of connectors and let me also say thanks to Amjad for taking some good pictures of me as well :)

I feel content that our campaign is keeping our connectors united for a common voice, a volunteer movement of its kind in Pakistan where they are advocating on the catastrophe of climate change while promoting the sense of volunteerism in action.

Let’s hope our connectors’ aims are as high and cool for our people as of the clouds of nature today!

Your few precious minutes are important for us

2010-07-22T23:44:00.003+05:00

Dear Climate lovers,

Your few precious minutes are important for us. We need you to evaluate our campaign against Climate Change in Pakistan and give us feedback on how can we improve our campaign against Climate Change.

Please go to the link and help us with your inputs and feedback: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3MHYDT6
We are a group of volunteers (Connectors) in Pakistan and running our campaign since last year under the Hon. Al Gore' Climate Change Leadership Programme.

Pakistan, being an agricultural country, contribute only less than a percent in global carbon emission but still is the 12th most vulnerable country due to Climate Change. It's melting glaciers in north, more risks of flooding and droughts, increased health concerns, food insecurity and scarcity of fresh water availability will be main challenges in coming years. Pakistan' average temperature increase is more than the global average, while studies predict shift in monsoon season and reduced crops productivity. Women and children will be particularly impacted due to climate change because of their less coping strength to adapt to climate shift.

We take it as our prime responsibility to make our unaware people aware of climate change and help them seek sustainable solutions against climate crisis and advocate on the issue with government and decision makers. We aim to empower women and help them to increase their resilience against the catastrophe.

Of course we need to improve our approach with innovation, to reach more people and take more actions. Your few minutes that you may spare to evaluate our campaign can create a big impact.

Go here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3MHYDT6

Many thanks,

Asif
Presenter- The Climate Project

Launching "We Ecopreneurs"- Linking environment with income generation for poor women

2010-07-14T21:22:00.004+05:00

Yes! we can do it and that's why we are on the way to do it.

Today, I feel happy that we are launching another bold initiative "WE ECOPRENEURS" for women in our campaign Climate Project Connectors in Pakistan. "WE ECOPRENEURS" will pilot a model that will work towards eliminating barriers which obstruct women to access resources and opportunities for sustaining their livelihoods.

Three most vulnerable and economically less empowered women will get comprehensive training, mentoring, inputs and financial assistance to become ecopreneurs. We are piloting this innovative programme in Balakot sub division where these women will initially be able to establish organic kitchen gardening and able to market their produce to earn livelihoods.

Pakistan, being one of the agricultural countries, will be more exposed to food crisis in coming years due to changing weather pattern and climate impacts. Women, particularly those with less economic opportunities together with social barriers, will be even more vulnerable to sustain their livelihoods with dignity. "WE ECOPRENEURS" will contribute in increasing resilience of poor women to adapt to climate change and improve their livelihoods with dignity.

Our objective of this pilot programme is to create women ecopreneurs at local level through integrating environmental conservation with income generation opportunities for poor women.

To give our idea wings, we have selected three potential women from Balakot with the involvement of a local women CBO. Families of these beneficiary women are willing to allow them to participate in a training cum competition based opportunity in their own village.

One of our female connector, expert in organic kitchen gardening, will train these women voluntarily in 1) climate change and food security 2) organic kitchen gardening and compost making and 3) marketing and linkage development. These women ecopreneurs, after the training, will receive required financial assistance to prepare a small piece of land (about 10 marla) and purchase of seeds to start organic kitchen gardening in their fields.

To boost interest among beneficiary women, they will enter into a market competition, where the one being on the top in earned profit will get 1st cash prize. Similarly, the rest of two will also receive 2nd and 3rd cash prize as per the profit they earn from their produce. These women ecopreneurs will use the cash prizes to improve their work and profit at local level. The ecopreneurs will also get regular mentorship from our female Connector to improve production and sale as well as to establish linkages with an organization to support their green business in future.

TCP presenter in Pakistan together with one of the female connectors will initially support these three women to pilot the programme in terms of providing trainings, financial assistance and linkage development. Once successful, the programme will look for more opportunities to scale up and replicate this model in other areas.

Today "We Ecopreneurs", tomorrow we empower.

How to handle our happiest days of life

2010-07-04T16:30:00.008+05:00

I have a friend, perhaps the best among thousands of those in the world that people claim to be proud of in their lives, a friend that makes my every day of life with a new learning, a friend helping me out to become a good person than my every past day. I think, with more straightforwardness of my friend in telling me the reality of life, my own weaknesses and where I need to be strong, I think I have the blessing of God to have such person in my life. A more than a friend to me that I would take not a single minute to change my decision to start reading a book that I bought recently, but to read first “A Thousand Splendid Suns”. It is not like that I only changed my choice of reading book because my friend said this. Rather, I believe I am going to learn more from the recommendation of my friend as always, in addition to my personal attachment. This is what when we can, often, take our hard decision easily in life when a friend is also a good mentor :)

As I started reading the book, “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, the first question I asked from myself "how come I didn’t read it a long before". It is an awesome book…. Oh wait Asif, I am not here to talk about how amazing the book is, I wanted to tell why I am going to change my facebook status message “Some time we don’t learn from our most happiest days of life”. I wanted to write here what new thing my friend shared with me for my learning. I hope I will justify in my blog, the words that my friend said to me.

It was kind of emotional reaction of something that forced me to write that status message on FB wall and since then I kept of thinking about it. I was thinking there is still something wrong with this status message. Today, as I talked to my friend about how amazing it is to have best days in life, but on the other hand how hard it is to manage it all when we separate, I think I am near to understand how to edit my FB status message.

We rarely think of such hard times, while totally mad of and disappeared into the pleasure of such best moments. Separation from such environment is often hard to bear. We often hear that everything needs a limit or balance in life. The same rule applies if we are somewhere out with friends and people either for fun, training or some celebrations, we need to limit the extent of excitement that we create just to make the moments all the time hit. In case of long days training somewhere in most beautiful places with amazing friends, we bring each and every thing all together but rarely think of mentorship, psychological care and way forward as part of our training programmes that could make us able to bear such hard feelings when we separate.

It is fact when we separate and come out of those especial moments of our life, our minds hardly accept it for many days and we are in kind of trauma that what happened to us. Sometime in such situation, we react in a strange way to our self, our friends or even to our families and loved one. No doubt, in case of training event, it is the beauty of our hosts to create such an amazing environment that we don’t feel away from our families and friends. However, on the other way, may be such hosts forget to plan how they are going to ensure that participants feel a sustainable way of networking, not only the business, but also the emotions that keep our minds and feeling strong enough when at the time of separation.

Often I wish, some day I will be a good trainer. That’s why I keep on learning new tools and techniques that can make my trainings better than before. Thank you so much my friend for the talk today and giving me a chance to peruse this new tool of handling emotions. May be you are not aware how precious learning you gave me today by sharing the idea of such psychological support. For me it will not only apply in trainings but also in our personal lives. I hope, I could learn this soon.

Dedicated to my friend…

Now I am going to change my FB status to “How to handle our happiest days of life”

My year long journey with The Climate Project (TCP) - the year worth living

2010-07-03T01:40:00.007+05:00

Thank you TCP for making my one year as the most valuable time of my life. When I say I am a presenter of The Climate Project, it makes me feel so proud and that's what I can call a real wealth of my life.

I am recalling July of last year when I was waiting for my visa for Australia with all of my excitements, worries and tensions. I remember how beautiful the time was when at 07:00am in a cold morning of Melbourne, my eyes saw the amazing Arts center. This was the place where I was going to meet the most amazing climate campaigners and was about to start a new life of dedication, spirit and commitment. Entering the venue, I had totally forgotten my all tiredness that I had due to rush in collecting my passport, then to airport with not enough time, missing my flight and again catching another one next day, more time in Dubai airport and then finally having my long journey towards Melbourne. I still remember the taxi driver from Italy, welcoming me at 03:00am at Melbourne airport, with his first comment while driving toward Victoria hotel- “So you are from Pakistan, having the best cricket team of the world :)

Reaching my destiny make me feel totally refreshing and excited. I still recall the smiling faces of TCP officials welcoming every one and lovely trainees from nineteen countries of Asia-Pacific region, which I met for the first time but never felt like strangers. The most amazing moment, I still recall the appearance of Honorable Al Gore in the hall. The excitement was on every face with lots of clapping and standing to give this great person all the respect and love.

Today, as I recall those moments of love, learning and excitements, I am thankful to God that I could avail this great opportunity in Melbourne and now myself as a presenter of The Climate Project Australia, life gave me most of the rewards that someone can be proud of, as I am now. The one year journey as climate campaigner started with the launch of my campaign “Climate Project Connectors” in Pakistan to create mass awareness on climate change and to advocate for change.

What a start it was with my first ever presentations on regional slide show to my own colleagues in World Vision field offices to motivate them to think and act as environment friendly persons and professionals. I initiated Connectors training programme in Pakistan and trained connectors (volunteers) to further educate audiences on catastrophe of climate change. The experience was so wonderful, exciting and helpfull and why not because majority of our people, especially women are unaware of climate change.

It gave me continuous encouragement throughout the first year of campaign that our Connectors’ community remained active in their capacities to motivate audiences to take action against climate crisis. Today, our connectors stand with me in our efforts to advocate on this most burning issue of the 21^st century. Our connectors, both females and males, belong to different international organizations like UNDP, Action Aid, World Vision, Oxfam GB, ACTED, Care, national organizations like Saibaan, SRSP, Alternate Solutions, PHKN, Hashaar, SPEED (tribal areas) and students from International Islamic University Islamabad.

Numbers of connectors joined hands with me in establishing country level network on Climate Change “Pakistan Environment Club”. We were able to initiate number of activities in the first year of campaigning such as educating families, communities and organizations on climate change through different talks, trainings, presentations and online information sharing, supporting organization to integrate climate change in their strategies, developing concept papers and proposals on climate change, initiating environmental assessments, projects on water and land resource management, installation of micro- hydal power plants, plantation and working together with the ministry of environment with the help of our brilliant young connectors/students of the Environmental Club.

Looking at the first year’ initiatives that we were able to undertake with the help of our amazing climate volunteers and support from TCP, I think I have spent the most valuable time of my life. This feeling give me a motivation to continue my efforts to influence thoughts, expand our campaign’ outreach and gather support to take more actions for our people.

From business to home- women, religion and customs

2010-06-29T12:39:00.004+05:00

Few days before, when in evening time, I was doing some shopping, I saw a girl standing at the front desk. This made me think of those thousands of girls and women who have no freedom of choice and decision to earn for their own and for their families. All the time, I remained in the shop and after I was on my way to home, I kept on thinking what actually freedom of choice is for such girls, especially living in conservative societies. I also thought about those who really want to work but are either not allowed due to cultural constraint or have no access to income generating opportunities. Unfortunately, our society first thinks that girls and women should not work and then think about why they actually work. And often they don’t care about the word “WHY”.

We rarely think of a girl or woman who leaves her home for 8 hours or more for job, with all the trust and hopes that she brings with her from family and earn because she needs to feed her family. However, this is the scenario where job for a girl is not a choice but a need for survival. We have to think a step ahead of this, where job is not only a need but a freedom of choice. Just like a men can search for job with all freedom, despite of the reason he needs to feed his family or not, the same should be a case for women to have a respectable job of own choice.

Unfortunately, people have made a perception that this is something a hurdle created by religion- Islam. However, the fact is, this is not religion, but self made customs or I will say, male dominance which take the decision from the hands of a woman, even some time when he is not actually suppose to make such boundaries. When I think what wrong perception is being spread among all of us about religion, I really feel sad. Religion is a strong base for shaping our lives in more respectable and dignified manner. By the word “our”, I mean both men and women. Islam never stop a woman or a girl from earning in a respectable manner and mostly the “respectable manner” in Islam demand an environment that we all need to create for a women to do a respectable job of her decision.

This is so amazing to know that the holly prophet, Muhammad (PBUM) married a woman who was a business woman. This example is so inspiring both for men and women. This is very crystal clear that religion has never been an obstacle for women and girls to earn, but this is what our customs that creates such obstacles. The holly prophet used to discuss with his wife Hazrat Khadija in every hard time. There is very famous saying in Islam that seeking knowledge is the duty of every Muslim. By the word “Muslim”, it means very clearly both men and women. A good knowledge, of course, is a strong base for a respectable business and we cannot deny a strong logic behind it.

One of the most powerful aspects of women empowerment begins from home. When a girl is born, Allah says, she brings blessing to you and your family. Religion gives her a status of pride which, unfortunately, societies alter for their so called customs. A girl, when a sister, is source of happiness for her brother, a companion when a wife and a heaven when a mother. The strongest point in my view is not to consider woman or girl a week or dependant member of the society, but a respectable member with full right of freedom in decision making.

Back to 2007, when in a free time, I was having chat with one of my foreign manager. She said that, in her country when women is standing in a line with men in bank or shop, she cannot break a line and will wait for her turn, whatever if lots of men are standing before her. She further talked to me that, in our society, women are mostly allowed to go ahead before men, irrespective of line rules. By this, she meant more respect for women in our society and I was happy hearing this from my manager that she appreciated such respectful acts of men in our country. However, some time I also think that it can be more than a respect only. May be this is a consideration that woman are not week and can wait for their turn. This point also make me realize that whatever be the situation as right or wrong in different cultures and societies, important thing is, not to continue making our own perceptions alone, rather, create an opportunity to consult women on what they really think about it.

If in present situation, we, the men dominate society by many means then, again it comes back to our sense of thinking and realization to do our efforts for creating conducive environment where we all are equal in rights with freedom of choice and dignity. And there is no question about it because, if religion, which we believe upon, gives this right to women, then how come we humans can deny it. Coming back to the thinking of that girl standing at the front desk of shop, I really wish she feels happy that she is able to do her job and earn for her family and this is not only something that make her to work at any cost rather a freedom of choice for herself.

A journey from darkness to light, new hopes new ambitions

2010-06-28T14:52:00.014+05:00

It’s one of the wonderful experiences for a remote community of Chokana, Balakot and the staff of World Vision Pakistan. Excitement begins as the community initiated planning for installation of community based micro-hydal plant to enlighten their village with new hopes and ambitions.

World Vision facilitated the community of Chokana in developing their five years’ village development plan, where community identified issue of rapid depletion of precious forest due to non availability of electricity in their village. Consultation led to the consensus of community for installation of micro-hydal plant as they had enough source of water from a natural spring in the village.

World Vision Pakistan staff, especially our climate project connectors helped the community in planning, designing and implementation of this community based project with the technical support from WV engineers.

Today, the community of Chokana is so excited when this 15 KV micro-hydal plant started supply of electricity to 58 households. The project cost Rs. 750,000/- with 10% community share.

The project will not only decrease community dependency on forest wood for fuel but also provide a continuous supply of electricity in the village. Children will be able to study at night. It will also improve community living standard through utilization of electrical appliances and reducing physical hardships of women in number of domestic chores. Chokana community is also planning to install a water mill to utilize the diverted water channel from the plant to produce flour and irrigate their lands for crops production.

We anticipate that this project will not only contribute to conserve natural environment of the area but also generate livelihood sources for local poor communities. It will also help local community to understand climate risks, usefulness of available natural resources and increased community resilience through climate change adaptation initiatives.

All the best TCP presenters for "Our Choice"

2010-06-27T23:15:00.004+05:00

Dear presenters,

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it possible to join you all in Our Choice training but I congratulate you to be with TCP today again for a great learning. You are really fortunate that today you are present here in the very first training of Our Choice. I wish you take maximum benefits of each and every second of this great event and become a source of change for our world with the SOLUTIONS you are going to learn today.

I know you are having best climate campaigners right now in Nashville to equip you with the best knowledge and skills for your ambitions of safe planet, however, I would also say, if you have two strong qualities in yourself; Motivation for Change and Volunteerism for Action, you can really make a difference. And I can tell you the name of a wonderful person,I am inspired from as well, having these qualities. His name is Hon. Al Gore!

So let's be committed with TCP, where ever we are, and continue to own our campaign and our actions as "Our Choice".

With all my love and sincere prayers for you dear presenters;

Asif
TCP presenter from Pakistan